Cat, meet pigeons. In a move that is sure to spark controversy and debate, Todd Phillips is zeroing in on the person he wants to play the Joker in his standalone origin movie. Joaquin Phoenix is in talks for the role.
The Clown Prince of Crime, despite various versions appearing over the years, is still something that the DCEU wants to explore, and the plan for this new film, announced last year, is for Phillips to direct a film outside of the continuity established by the likes of Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad. Scott Silver and Phillips have been writing the script and the director has already approached Phoenix about the role, with the studio signing off and the all-important deal negotiations under way.
According to Variety's sources, the film will be set in the 1980s and is aiming to look more like a gritty crime drama than a superhero pic. There was talk of Martin Scorsese's involvement as a producer, but the update makes no mention of the cinematic icon, so we don't know if anything was ever worked out.
When Phoenix was briefly flirting with the role of Doctor Strange, there was an outcry that he was the wrong choice, and we can foresee plenty of complaints about him tackling this role. Still, if he does end up in the film, he'll have the chance to prove himself the way Heath Ledger silence the critics (and posthumously won an Oscar) and Jared Leto... appeared in Suicide Squad.
Keep up to date with all the latest movie news, click here to subscribe to Empire and have the latest issue delivered to your door every month.