It hasn't been that long since the official announcement of a standalone Joker movie was made, but the project appears to be on the fast track to production. Like, the really fast track. While it's only been about a month since the news broke that a non-DCEU Joker movie was in the works, the word is that the script for the movie is actually nearly done and could be turned in as early as next week, meaning a 2018 shoot is very likely.
While the news that a Joker movie was on the way was only revealed to the public recently, it would seem that writers Todd Philips and Scott Silver have been working on it for some time, as Variety reports the script is very nearly finished. With the script written, seeing the Joker movie go before the cameras sometime in the next year or so is far from a long shot. Every indication is that Warner Bros. has some fairly high expectations for this project, so the studio probably wants it shooting sooner rather than later.
This is pretty surprising considering that standard operating procedure for DC movies at Warner Bros. up to this point has been quite the opposite. The slate is full of announced films, but they all seem to be moving at a snail's pace. Aquaman is currently in production and Wonder Woman 2 seems to be a sure thing, now that director Patty Jenkins has officially signed on, but beyond that, we have no idea when we'll actually see any of the other films that have been promised. Margot Robbie has said she expects to film something as Harley Quinn next year, but since there are three different projects announced that will include Harley, we don't even know which movie that will be.
The Joker movie, however, is a somewhat different animal. While the movie will be based on DC comics' best-known villain, it won't be connected to the current DC universe in any way. The word is that Warner Bros. sees the movie as not only a potential box office success but possibly a legitimate awards contender as well. To that end, the project was announced with Martin Scorsese's name attached as a producer, and the word is the studio is interested in Leonardo DiCaprio taking on the lead role.
If the Joker movie does go into production next year we could see it release as early as 2019. If the film is truly looking to be considered for awards, a late in the year release window is most likely, though Wonder Woman 2 is currently set for a December 2019 release, and even if the two movies aren't directly connected, the studio won't want to release them too close together, if only to prevent the box office of one from cannibalizing the other.
Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more news of the Joker movie as it is revealed. If the movie is looking to start shooting next year then confirmed casting can't be too far away.
