According to Deadline, Warner Bros. and DC are currently in the early stages of producing an origin movie for the Joker. The Hangover’s Todd Phillips is set to co-write the script alongside 8 Mile writer Scott Silver. Directing the latest Batman universe spinoff is Phillips, with Martin Scorsese on board to produce.
This will be the first film under Warner Bros. new, yet to be named, banner. Under this banner, the company will be able to expand DC properties, creating unique storylines with different actors. The intention of this new film is to create a new origin story that isn’t part of any other iteration. The Joker has made memorable appearances in several Batman movies, portrayed by the likes of Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and more recently, Jared Leto. Leto is set to reprise this role in the Suicide Squad sequel and the Harley Quinn spinoff. However, this new film with feature a different actor at the helm.
The film is reportedly intended to take place in Gotham City during the early ’80s, fueled by gritty scenes and hardboiled crime, certainly drawing inspiration from Scorsese’s previous films like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, or The King of Comedy. While Phillips and Silver have already begun the writing process, no release date has been announced yet. Recent directing credits for Phillips includes War Dogs, while Silver recently wrote scripts for The Fighter.