DC’s upcoming standalone Joker origin movie may have already been revealed ahead of San Diego Comic-Con this week.
According to a listing on Production Weekly (via PursueNews), the DC film starring Joaquin Phoenix as the Clown Prince of Crime will simply be titled JOKER. Official plot details are still under wraps but the Joker origin film is to be a gritty and grounded crime film set in 1980s Gotham City, separate from DC’s current shared cinematic universe in an effort to create new and unique storylines as the studio expands DC canon.
The studio has officially described the film as an “exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study but also a broader cautionary tale.” Production on the project is set to get underway this September in New York City with a budget of $55 million. The story is rumored to feature the Clown Prince of Crime as a failed 1980s comedian who becomes The Joker after bombing with audiences, a deliberate nod to Martin Scorsese’s 1982 film The King of Comedy about a delusional comedian.
Todd Phillips (The Hangover) is set to direct from a script co-written by Scott Silver (8 Mile) and himself. He’ll also produce the film alongside The Wolf of Wall Street producer Emma Tillinger Koskoff with Richard Baratta serving as executive producer.
Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for the latest news on the future of DC Films as we learn it.
Source: PursueNews
