There’s no more laughing at Joker’s Oscar chances.

Joker made its world premiere last month at the Venice Film Festival, arguably the most prestigious film fest outside of Cannes. And now it’s won Venice’s top prize, the Golden Lion, from a jury presided over by Argentine director Lucrecia Martel.

This is a legitimately surprising development — and a pretty significant one for the film’s further awards chances as many Oscar heavyweights first got their start, as Venice Golden Lion winners. In recent years that includes films like The Shape of Water, which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Roma, winner of last year’s Best Director and Best Foreign Language Film prizes. At this point, you have to seriously start thinking Joker could be a major player on Oscar night — and not just for Joaquin Phoenix as Best Actor.

Here is the full list of winners out of Venice:

  • Golden Lion: Joker, directed by Todd Phillips
  • Grand Jury Prize: An Officer and a Spy, directed by Roman Polanski
  • Silver Lion for Best Director: Roy Andersson, About Endlessness
  • Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Ariane Ascaride, Gloria Mundi
  • Volpi Cup for Best Actor: Luca Marinelli, Martin Eden
  • Best Screenplay: No. 7 Cherry Lane
  • Special Jury Prize: The Mafia Is No Longer What It Used to Be
  • Marcello Mastroianni Award for Young Actor: Toby Wallace, Babyteeth

Joker opens in theaters on October 4.

Gallery — Actors Who’ve Appeared in Both Marvel and DC Movies:

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