The untitled Joker origin movie will apparently borrow a key plot element from Alan Moore's Batman: The Killing Joke.
It's been some time since we first learned that Warner Bros. had a Todd Phillips-directed movie about the Clown Prince of Crime in development. Since that time, the only news we’ve had about the plot or a storyline was that it wouldn't be a part of the DC Extended Universe, it would be set in the 1980s, and it would tell the supervillain’s origin story.
But TheWrap finally came up with some possible plot details. According to their latest report, Phillips and co-writer Scott Silver plan to introduce The Joker as a failed comedian who sets out on a maniacal criminal path.
Over a number of decades, The Joker hasn’t had a single definitive backstory. However, this plot point follows the character’s development in The Killing Joke, a one-shot graphic novel from 1988 that boasts perhaps the most widely cited version.
It also follows Martin Scorsese's 1982 black comedy, The King of Comedy. That film introduced Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro), a mentally deranged stand-up comedian who fails at every attempt to launch his career. Scorsese is a producer for the Joker movie, and the report suggested that the upcoming DC project will include nods to that movie.
During a recent interview, Joaquin Phoenix appeared to have never heard of any origin movie for The Joker, but it appears that he may have been deflecting. TheWrap claimed that the three-time Academy Award nominee is actually close to sealing a deal with the studio to take on the lead role in the project.
As previously reported, The Wrap suggested that Warner Bros. is looking at filming the movie sometime in mid-to-late 2018. However, the current rewrites could delay things a bit.
