Joaquin Phoenix to star in standalone 'Joker' origin movie

Joaquin Phoenix will star in an origin story of one of DC’s most notorious supervillains, the Joker!

Warner Bros. Pictures made the announcement on Tuesday that the Oscar-nominated actor will join the standalone film under the helm of director Todd Phillips. Phillips’ exploration of a man disregarded by society is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale, the studio said in its press release.

Phillips will direct from a screenplay he co-wrote with writer Scott Silver (The Fighter).  The film will be produced by Emma Tillinger Koskoff and executive produced by Richard Baratta.  The film begins production later this year.

One of today’s most versatile actors, Phoenix has been honored with three Oscar nominations, for his work in Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master, James Mangold’s Walk the Line, in which he starred as Johnny Cash, and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. 

He won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017 for Lynne Ramsey’s You Were Never Really Here, and has also earned acclaim for his work in numerous films, including Spike Jonze’s Her. His most recent film, Gus Van Sant’s Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, premiered at Sundance this year.