De Niro Joins Joaquin Phoenix in JOKER

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

As if we couldn't get more excited about this upcoming JOKER standalone origin film starring Joaquin Phoenix, today we have word via THR that none other than TAXI DRIVER himself Travis Bickle (aka Robert De Niro) is in talks to join Pheonix in the film, which is all set to be written and directed by Todd Phillips (THE HANGOVER).

If this casting comes to pass, not only will it be an utter joy to see Phoenix and De Niro share the screen, but it will also have the distinction of being De Niro's first foray into the world of comic book movies. If a deal is made, De Niro would play

a talk show host who is somehow instrumental in the Joker’s origin.

Phillips co-wrote the script with Scott Silver, which is supposed to be set in Gotham City in the early 1980s and is being described as: 

An exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study but also a broader cautionary tale. 

The project's budget is in the $55 million range, and the stand-alone is meant to be darker and more experimental in tone and content, which is described as being akin to a crime drama. The Joker origin stand-alone is produced by Emma Tillinger Koskoff (THE WOLF OF WALL STREET) and Richard Baratta is an executive producer.

Warners has yet to stake out a release date but there's a chance that the movie will be ready for release as early as late 2019. After all, the standalone origin story will begin shooting in September in New York.