There’s been a lot of rumors swirling around various standalone Joker movies over the past couple of months. Oscar-nominated actor Joaquin Phoenix will play the legendary supervillain in the upcoming Warner Bros Joker origin story set in the ’80s. Now that Joaquin Phoenix has officially signed on, Warner Bros. has given the origin film a title and release date.
Warner Bros. indicated the film will have a dark tone. It said the film, directed by Todd Phillips, is an “exploration of a man disregarded by society that is not only a gritty character study but also a broader cautionary tale.” Scott Silver co-wrote the script with Phillips. Warner Bros. gave the green light to the origin movie earlier this month.
It will continue the DC Cinematic Universe’s focus on gritty stories and investment into great supervillains — which is a stark contrast to Marvel’s hyper-focus on great heroes at the cost of disposable villains. Another difference is that the film is more of a low-budget character study rather than a blockbuster extravaganza, financing reportedly in the $55 million range, significantly lower than the tentpoles that dominate the form. And the movie is set to begin production later this year.
Jared Leto most recently played the Joker in 2016’s Suicide Squad and will be back for the superhero sequel. Warner Bros. is also developing Leto’s own standalone movie that will be separate from Phoenix’s Joker project. The Phoenix film will delve into what it took for the Joker to become a criminal mastermind.
Joker is slated for an Oct. 4, 2019 release.
Source: Warner Bros.
