Whether your favorite Joker is Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger or hell, even Jared Leto, the Joker is undeniably the most iconic “Batman” villain and it looks as though he’s getting his own origin tale.
“War Dogs” and “The Hangover” director Todd Phillips is in talks to co-write and direct a movie about the beginning of the Joker. Legendary film director Martin Scorsese is expected to have some role in the yet-untitled movie, but exactly what is still unknown.
The origins storyline will give the DC Comic character depth and add to the catalogue of story angles involving Batman’s most notorious foe.
Scott Silver, writer of “8 Mile” and “The Fighter”, will co-write with Phillips the story of how Jack Napier, a humble mob hitman, transformed into the Ace of Knaves, becoming one of the most dastardly of Gotham’s criminals.
Silver recently wrote “Stronger”, the David Gordon Green-directed drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Jeff Bauman, whose lower legs were blown off during the Boston Marathon attack.
The story will reportedly take place in the 1980s and will be more “gritty crime drama” and less comic book movie, which is an “a-ha” regarding Scorsese’s possible involvement. The movie, which Silver and Phillips are already writing, will be more of a “Taxi Driver”, “Raging Bull” or “The King Of Comedy”-type movie.
Leto is reportedly not a contender for the role of the OG Clown Prince of Crime, his Joker-esque character in “Suicide Squad”, but he is expected to reprise his role in the upcoming “Suicide Squad” sequel.
Phillips co-founded a production company Joint Effort with Bradley Cooper with the intention of breaking free of “The Hangover” franchise and trying out genre films. He is represented by CAA. Scorsese is repped by WME and LBI Entertainment.
The news of Joker movie talks was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.
