As I'm sure you've realized by now, I am something of a Batman fan. I've been reading the comics since I was a wee little lad and my enthusiasm for the character and the world built around him has only grown.
I'm a big fan. A big, big fan. And you know what I have little to no interest in? A film about The Joker's origin. But you know what I am getting? Exactly that. Thanks, Warner Bros.
Deadline reports that WB and DC Comics are actively developing a Joker film co-written and directed by Hangover filmmaker Todd Phillips. Don't worry, Jared Leto will be nowhere near this thing. The film is WB's first step in creating brand new DC banner which will develop movies about famous comic characters with "unique storylines." So the Joker film will likely be one of many. Want to see Catwoman as a kid? The Riddler as a troubled, angsty teen? Commissioner Gordon during his first year on the job? Don't be surprised if any of those are up next.
Phillips's film is being pitched as a "grounded hard-boiled crime film set in early-’80s Gotham City." It kind of sounds like a Scorsese film, huh? Well that makes sense because Marty himself is attached to produce the project. That's right, Martin Scorsese is getting into comic book films. What a world we live in.
So Todd Phillips is directing, Jared Leto is not starring and Martin Scorsese is producing. That leaves us with one question: is this a good idea? On paper, it is and it isn't. No one is going to deny a Scorsese-produced crime drama. And while Todd Phillips doesn't have a great track record, he can create some good-looking movies. But the big hold-up is the fact that we don't need a Joker origin story. Part of his magic is that he's a mystery. We don't know where The Joker came from, we don't know what made him into the maniacal madman he is. Even when he himself has told his story (see: The Killing Joke) it's been unreliable and cloudy. We will never really know his backstory. And we don't need to, it adds to his danger and mystique. I think Christopher Nolan once compared The Joker to the shark from Jaws and that feels about right. Something about not knowing his background makes him almost immortal and even more terrifying.
That being said, an 80's-set crime movie about Gotham City sounds damn tempting. I just wish this movie was about a different character. Maybe it's not too late to convince Phillips to make the film about The Penguin or, if we're really lucky, Black Mask.