by Andrew Kiess

According to a new report from Deadline, a Joker movie is in development with Todd Phillips, director of The Hangover in talks to co-write with Scott Silver (The Fighter) and direct, with legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese to produce. The film will reportedly take place in the 1980s and have the feel of an 80s crime drama, like the kind Scorsese is famous for.

The film will not feature Jared Leto as the lead actor, but the report did confirm he will return to the role for both Suicide Squad 2 and the Harley Quinn spinoff (presumably Gotham City Sirens). This film will focus on telling an origin for the character before he became the Clown Prince of Crime.

This new film will not fall under the DC Films label run by Geoff Johns and Jon Berg. This new label, yet to be named, will provide Warner Bros. an opportunity to tell stories outside of the continuity of the connected universe films.

I have some misgivings about the prospect of a Joker origin film. I don’t see the necessity of it and risks over saturating the market by double-dipping on a character in the same medium for mass audiences. This does not mean that I do not think it will be good–it has a great chance to be just that–but I would prefer Warner Bros. to remain committed to the shared universe of DC Films by supporting the filmmakers and producers involved within it. With the upcoming launch of the DC streaming service, it makes me wonder why Warners wouldn’t use that as a place to tell this story.

But, it appears that this film is on its way, and so, as a fan of these characters, all I can do is wait and hope that it turns out well.

Source: Deadline

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