Martin Scorsese rumoured to be working on Joker origin story movie

Instead, it will be part of an unannounced imprint of DC films that will look to tell one-off stories about beloved characters in the DC canon.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. has tapped The Hangover and The Hangover Part II producer and director Todd Phillips to co-write an origin film for the iconic Batman villain, the Joker. The new project is going to be all about the Joker, though maybe not the Joker that we’ve all recently gotten to know in Suicide Squad. So while Leto will reprise his role as the Joker in the Suicide Squad sequel and Harley Quinn spinoff, he won’t be cast in the new movie. It’s obviously too early to judge the Joker film, but based on the DCEU’s recent history, fans are right to be nervous.

An actor hasn’t been revealed for the role, but it would likely be a younger person as the story is the beginning of The Joker.

Well, it’s been exactly four minutes since the last announcement of a comic book movie, luckily DC have us covered! Deadline reports that Phillips will be producing the film alongside Martin Scorsese, although THR reports that Scorsese’s “involvement is far from assured”. Perhaps these lower budget projects could provide room for more experimental, edgier DC films? What’s more, this origin story isn’t exactly going to tie in to any other DC property now out, so don’t expect to see calls to Heath Ledger’s, Jack Nicholson’s, or (*shudder*) Jared Leto‘s Jokers. Interestingly, WB is reportedly setting up the film not as a DC movie but rather like one of Scorsese’s ’80s-set movies like Raging Bull or Taxi Driver. Phillips and Silver have already started writing the script, but there’s no word on how this new incarnation and the new film banner will fit in with the existing DC schedule.