The standalone Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix will be released on October 4, 2019, Variety reported.
The untitled film gives a backstory to the arch-nemesis of DC Comics superhero Batman. It will be produced by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Todd Phillips (The Hangover, War Dogs) is directing and co-writing with Scott Philip.
The studio said the film will have dark tone and has described it as an “exploration of a man disregarded by society that is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.” Production is set to begin in September and the film has a reported budget of around $55 million.
Warner Bros is also producing another standalone Joker movie, starring Jared Leto, who first played the character in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad (2016).
The criminal mastermind has been played by many actors in the past including Cesar Romero in Leslie H Martinson’s Batman: The Movie (1966), Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989), and most famously, Heath Ledger in Christopher Nolan’s Batman: The Dark Knight (2008).