Joaquin Phoenix's Joker Origin Film is Officially Moving Forward at Warner Bros.

That Joker origin movie that we've all been hearing about that is being developed by DC Entertainment is officially a go at Warner Bros! According to THR, Joaquin Phoenix recently finalized his deal to star in the film and director Todd Phillips will start shooting in September in New York.

Phillips co-write the script for the film with Scott Silver, and then there's Martin Scorsese who is also a producer on the film. The studio describes the story as being an "exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale."

This Joker movie is said to be going against the grain of most comic book movies. The report says that the Joker standalone movie is "meant to be different from other comic book superhero movies. " I like that they are looking to do something different with this character. WB is obviously experimenting with something new here and I'm actually looking forward to seeing what comes of it. 

The budget is in the $55 million range, significantly lower than the tentpoles that dominate the form. And the standalone is meant to be darker and more experimental in tone and content (at least as experimental as a studio can be with established brands such as DC), which is described as being akin to a crime drama.

The story is also said to "delve into what it took for the Joker to become a mastermind criminal" and rumor has it that the film story was inspired by The Killing Joke and that it revolve around a failed comedian who ends up becoming a criminal.

I'm a lot more excited about this movie than the Jared Leto Joker solo film that's in development! Thre's no word on when the movie will be released, but it will most likely hit theaters at some point in 2019.