Warner Bros. Marketing Chief Blair Rich Reflects on ‘Joker’ Rollout: ‘We Always Believed in the Artistic Power of This Movie’ – Variety

At the inaugural Visionaries Breakfast, presented by Spotify at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, Calif, Rich and the team she assembled for releases like “Joker,” “Shazaam,” “It: Chapter Two” and “Pokemon: Detective Pikachu” circulated with power players from fellow studios, agencies and the content space overall.

In a keynote conversation moderated by Variety editor-in-chief Claudia Eller, Rich reflected on the tumultuous road to bring Todd Phillips’ smash hit “Joker” to screen — a brooding and bleak take on Batman’s most notorious foe. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, the film is expected to cross $1 billion at the worldwide box office this week and earn the distinction of becoming the highest-earning R-rated film of all time.