The Clown Prince takes home the top prize in Venice.

Joker's run at The Venice Film Festival closed last night on the highest possible note. After premiering to a reported 8-minute standing ovation, Todd Phillips' origin story for the infamous and iconic Batman villain was awarded the festival's top prize of a "Golden Lion" (a first the comic-driven genre.)

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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Phillips and the movie's star, Joaquin Phoenix, were in attendance to accept the award on behalf of the film and its crew. In his acceptance speech, Phillips thanked Warner Bros., DC Comics, and Phoenix, who he praised for being "the fiercest and brightest and most open-minded lion I know."

Previous years' winners of The Golden Lion include Alfonso Cuarón's Roma and Guillermo Del Toro's The Shape of Water before it. Both were dominant presences at subsequent rounds of The Oscars. And so, the path to the Academy Awards is basically clear for Joker's landing.

Joker hits theaters on October 4. Watch the film's final trailer below.