Robert De Niro as a New York mob boss? Where do we sign up?
Take this one with a pinch of salt for now, but Revenge of the Fans is reporting that the Joker origin movie has indeed carved out room for De Niro, but he won’t be playing Carmine Falcone as initially rumored.
This tidbit arrives on the heels of Warner Bros.’ official announcement for their Clown Prince of Crime, when it was revealed that Joker, directed by Todd Phillips (The Hangover, War Dogs) and starring Joaquin Phoenix in the title role, will see a release on October 4th, 2019 – five short weeks before the arrival of Wonder Woman 1984.
Well, we did say Joker was being placed on the fast-track, and with filming set to commence in New York City this September, it won’t be long before we catch a glimpse of Phoenix dressed as Gotham’s worst nightmare. And he’ll seemingly be standing alongside De Niro, too.
This leaves us with just one question: if Robert De Niro really is involved in Joker, and he’s not been earmarked for Carmine Falcone, who is he playing? Murray Franklin appears to be the safe bet, given De Niro’s attributes closely match a previous casting call that was put out before Warner Bros. issued the green light.
One thing we can tell you, however, is that this DC origin tale involves an “exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.”
Expect the Joaquin Phoenix Joker movie to cackle all the way into theaters on October 4th, 2019. Phillips and Scott Silver (8 Mile) are responsible for the screenplay.
