"The Joker" in development with Todd Phillips and Martin Scorsese attached?

[writer0327]

Good thing the Joker isn't a real person so his complete lack of empathy isn't a problem.

Lack of empathy is always a problem for the lead character of an origin story. I'm imagining the story will center around a man who once had empathy and lost it along the way. But that ultimately creates the kind of sympathy for the Joker that I personally don't think belongs anywhere in a story about this character.

Or if they do, hopefully they balance it out with unforgivable, sheer brutality of the Joker's part, ala The Killing Joke.

 

[terry78]

Poor Leto, man. He's says he's just as confused as everyone else.

 

[Pennywise]

Yeah. He did handle it a lot more professionally in that interview than I thought he would, though! Although privately, he could still be upset.

 

[BestGirl]

Lack of empathy is always a problem for the lead character of an origin story. I'm imagining the story will center around a man who once had empathy and lost it along the way. But that ultimately creates the kind of sympathy for the Joker that I personally don't think belongs anywhere in a story about this character.

Or if they do, hopefully they balance it out with unforgivable, sheer brutality of the Joker's part, ala The Killing Joke.

I was talking about fangirls having crushes on the character. Yeah, if WB's gonna sell the Joker's origin to non-fangirls they're gonna have to present him as having some redeeming qualities. I don't know how of an idea that is.

 

[Kane52630]

I wonder how soon before everyone start listing Bill Skarsgard to play the young Joker...

 

[Jekecy]

I wonder how soon before everyone start listing Bill Skarsgard to play the young Joker...

Looks like a young Bowie and Dafoe, two arguably great candidates for Joker in their prime.

It's an uninspired casting choice just based off of IT, but all indications would suggest he'd be great for the part.

 

[Boom]

Well if they go with an older Joker after all, just call up his brother Gustaf.

 

[Pennywise]

I'd say go with Will Poulter instead of Bill, as great as that would be! We never got to see Will's Pennywise so this would be as close as we'd get to that!

 

[Boom]

Will Poulter would be amazing.

 

[OutOfBoose]

I wonder how soon before everyone start listing Bill Skarsgard to play the young Joker...

Groan.

Poor Leto, man. He's says he's just as confused as everyone else.

I'm confused too... Why didn't WB boot his ass along with Ayer?

 

[Slade W]

I was talking about fangirls having crushes on the character. Yeah, if WB's gonna sell the Joker's origin to non-fangirls they're gonna have to present him as having some redeeming qualities. I don't know how of an idea that is.

I disagree that they have to. They could do something similar to what Azzarello did in his graphic novel, and tell the story through someone else's eyes. They can make that character somewhat likeable instead.

 

[metaphysician]

*cough* I think the mistake there is assuming that sexual attraction has anything to do with ethics or morality whatsoever. . .

 

[Greens]

Yeah, a character doesn't have to be an upstanding citizen for them to be sexually attractive. It's a fantasy for a reason.

 

[Bruce Malone]

If they are going for an R-Rating for this film just checked out the pilot for the new HBO show "The Deuce" set in 1970's New York.

Visually this film could take come cues from what they've done well there.

 

[hellblazer103]

I think it'd be great to start off this pre-Joker as a likable/sympathetic guy, winning the audience over ( without revealing too much about him, at least at first) , and then totally catching them off-guard and revealing that he's actually a truly evil bastard on the inside as well as out. Say some goons hold his wife hostage ( like how the gang in TKJ killed his wife to get him to stay with them ), only he ends up killing her himself ( yes, yes , I know, Keyser Soze style ). Or we learn his parents died when he was 8 ( same age as Bruce when he lost his own parents ) only to find out later that he was the one who killed them. Sort of like how Walter White in Breaking Bad starts off very sympathetic, but then we learn that deep down, he always had a darker side and an insatiable ego. This would be the more extreme version of that scenario, I guess you could say.

 

[Willi Berg]

I think it'd be great to start off this pre-Joker as a likable/sympathetic guy, winning the audience over ( without revealing too much about him, at least at first) , and then totally catching them off-guard and revealing that he's actually a truly evil bastard on the inside as well as out. Say some goons hold his wife hostage ( like how the gang in TKJ killed his wife to get him to stay with them ), only he ends up killing her himself ( yes, yes , I know, Keyser Soze style ). Or we learn his parents died when he was 8 ( same age as Bruce when he lost his own parents ) only to find out later that he was the one who killed them. Sort of like how Walter White in Breaking Bad starts off very sympathetic, but then we learn that deep down, he always had a darker side and an insatiable ego. This would be the more extreme version of that scenario, I guess you could say.

That could be interesting way to go. I was wondering if he would be a regular, even nice, guy who was beaten down by others so much that he would "turn". But interesting if he had that in him all along.

 

[hellblazer103]

It'd also still require some mystery, therefore keeping everyone happy. They didn't even give out Joker's name in TKJ yet he still had a sympathetic origin. They could just straight up not give him a name, start off with him getting fired from the chemical plant, etc.

 

[BaelaTargaryen]

https://***********/krolljvar/status/910653198892908547

Justin Kroll@krolljvar

Hear THE JOKER script will be turned in by next week, super fast considering when announcement went out bodes well for 2018 shoot

 

[Pennywise]

Was not expecting to hear that! That was quick!

 

[Kane52630]

Are we sure it's for this Joker movie and not the other 200?

 

[Boom]

If they are at least considering someone in Leo's age bracket, could we throw Sam Rockwell's name into the hat?

 

[Pennywise]

I'm going to go for a left-field choice as a suggestion. Hugh Dancy for Joker.

 

[Rorschach2012]

I'm going to go for a left-field choice as a suggestion. Hugh Dancy for Joker.

Nah man, if you're going with someone from Hannibal, it's obvious you go for Michael Pitt.

 

[Pennywise]

Nah man, if you're going with someone from Hannibal, it's obvious you go for Michael Pitt.

Pitt would be awesome! He was hilarious on Hannibal!

"I'm full of myself!"

 

[Chip Chipperson]

Michael Pitt would make me officially excited for this