Warner Bros. Greenlights Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker Origin Movie

It’s official! According to the Hollywood Reporter, Phoenix recently finalized his deal to star as the arch-nemesis of Batman. The Joker origin movie is officially a go at Warner Bros.Joaquin Phoenix recently finalized his deal to star as the arch-nemesis of Batman and shooting is set to begin in September in New York.

Variety first reported that Phoenix was in talks to play the Clown Prince of Crime. As soon as his deal was finalized, the studio gave the greenlight to a September start date with a budget in the moderate $55 million dollar range.

The standalone “Joker” feature will fall under a yet-to-be-announced banner of DC Comics, which gives the studio the opportunity to expand the canon of the iconic comic-book characters with unique story angles that aren’t included in its current cinematic universe.

Jared Leto most recently played the Joker in “Suicide Squad.” According to insiders, the Oscar-winner will not only will he be back for the “Suicide Squad” sequel, Warner Bros. is also developing his own standalone movie that will be separate from Phoenix’s Joker project.

Are you ready for a Joker origin movie? What do you think about Joaquin Phoenix as The Joker? Do you have feelings about the possible Jared Leto stand-alone film? Let Nerdbot know in the comments and get the conversation started!