The standalone Joker movie from Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix has entered the very early stages of development, that much we know, but a new listing from Production Weekly strongly suggests that the buzzworthy DC project already has a title to call its own.
First spotted by PursueNews (h/t Heroic Hollywood), this as-yet-unverified scrap of intel indicates that the film will simply release as Joker in due time, perhaps as a means of differentiating it from all the other Joker-related movies currently gestating in various stages of development – think Joker and Harley Quinn, as well as that standalone movie for Jared Leto’s Clown Prince of Crime.
It’s all part of Warner’s strategy to create novel stories that can exist independent from the ongoing DCEU and its own continuity. And while that’s all very exciting, plot details for the Joker pic (Phoenix’s, not Leto’s) are practically non-existent at this point.
Frankly though, that’s okay, as Warner Bros. just issued the green light for this 1980s-set character study, with production expected to commence in New York City this September.
Brian Azzarello’s Killing Joke is said to have been earmarked for inspiration, though we imagine Todd Phillips and Co. already had a rough story outline in place – otherwise they would’ve risked losing Joaquin Phoenix. Alas, the same can’t be said for two-time Academy Award winner Frances McDormand, who supposedly “passed on playing Phoenix’s mom” in the untitled origin movie late last week. Oh, what could have been.
Even if that really is the case, and the Three Billboards actress opted to pass on The Joker, this is still a project teeming with potential. And you can readily expect all the latest updates – including more news about that rumored title – as Warner’s spinoff begins to gain a sense of momentum.
