Joaquin Phoenix’s standalone Joker movie has officially been greenlit and will begin shooting this September. The rumors of a standalone Joker movie have been swirling for months but it was uncertain which version would get the go ahead first. Would it be Jared Leto’s Joker with Margo Robbie’s Harley Quinn or another actor all together that would portray the clown prince.
Phoenix got the green light first and should make a run at claiming the throne as one of the best renditions of the Joker we have seen yet. Time will tell but if you look at some of his performances like “I Am Still Here” he can lose himself in a role that is second to none in most cases. If he can bring the same level of acting that Heath Ledger did to the role then we are in for a special treat! For my money no one has filled the shoes left by Ledger and it is a damn shame we didn’t get to see him carry the torch in more DC films. Not to discount any of the actors that played the Joker before him – just a different approach to the character. One that I prefer.
This version of the Joker will focus on the “exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale,” according to The Hollywood Reporter, that’s “meant to be different from comic book super hero movies.”
Todd Phillips will be in the directors chair for the film and it appears they will be sticking to the gritty nature of the DC universe. Fitting for a character of this nature. But one deviation for this film is that will live under a new banner at Warner Brothers so writers can explore side storylines that feature different actors portraying other characters throughout the universe. Which explains why the Leto Joker film is still in play. This coming from Deadline.com.
No word yet on when they plan to release the Joker origin film but with the late shooting schedule in Fall of 2018 you can look for this to hit theaters sometime late in 2019.
