Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Joker’ Movie Gets Release Date

The Joker will unleash chaos in movie theaters in 2019.

Warner Bros. has set an Oct. 4, 2019, release date for its standalone “Joker” movie starring Joaquin Phoenix.

The studio made the announcement on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the start of Comic-Con. Warner Bros. is making its presentation in Hall H on Saturday.

Warner Bros. indicated the “Joker” will have a dark tone. It said the film, directed by Todd Phillips, is an “exploration of a man disregarded by society that is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.” Scott Silver co-wrote the script with Phillips.

Warner Bros. gave the greenlight to the origin movie earlier this month. Variety first reported that Phoenix was in talks to play the Clown Prince of Crime. As soon as his deal was finalized, the studio set a September start date with a budget in the moderate $55 million range.

Jared Leto most recently played the Joker in 2016’s “Suicide Squad” and will be back for the superhero sequel. Warner Bros. is also developing Leto’s own standalone movie that will be separate from Phoenix’s Joker project. The Phoenix film will delve into what it took for the Joker to become a criminal mastermind.

“Joker” becomes the third title slated for Oct. 4, 2019, joining Fox’s thriller “The Woman in the Window” and Paramount’s sci-fier “Gemini Man.”

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