Todd Philips’ upcoming Joker movie might cause a ruckus among fans for swaying away from the DC character’s comic book storyline but its gritty dark take and Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of the clown prince of crime could make the actor a contender for the Oscars in 2020. And a recent new buzz from early screenings suggests the same.

Awards Ace editor Erick Webber recently tweeted that a source, who has seen the film had nothing but praises for the Joker movie and stated Joaquin Phoenix “will be nominated” for Oscars 2020 in the best actor category. Furthermore, the source also describes the R-rated DC film as “dark, disturbing & unforgettable”. You can check out the tweet below.

This shouldn’t’ come as a surprise since a part of the fandom also expressed similar reactions after watching witnessing early set pictures and the first trailer for Joker. Even if the movie fails to adapt any of the concepts or plot points from the characters’ comic adaptation, it looks like fans would still rejoice over Phoenix’s ability to play the character to his best and possibly even manage to successfully take the mantle from Heath Ledger. However, as of now, it is unknown if Phoenix would reprise the role again for a possible sequel outside of the DC Extended Universe.

Attendees at this year’s Venice International Film Festival will be the first to witness Joker as the movie is set to premiere at the 76th annual event which takes place from August 29 to September 7. Director Todd Philips confirmed the news earlier last week on Instagram.

“Honored and thrilled to be having our World Premiere at the 76th Venice International Film Festival and our North American premiere two weeks later at the Toronto Film Festival. Excited for everyone to finally get a look,” the director wrote.

The R-rated Joker movie hits theaters on October 4, 2019.