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Joaquin Phoenix Joker Movie Budget & Filming Start Date
New budget and filming details emerge regarding the forthcoming Joker origin movie, which will reportedly star Joaquin Phoenix. Not much is known regarding the plot of the movie, but it's expected to be set in the '80s and will tackle the Clown Prince of Crime's early days as a failed comedian. It was reported that critically acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese would produce the film while The Hangover director Todd Phillips is rumored to helm. At one point, Academy Award-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio was rumored for the role, but the gig eventually landed on Phoenix's lap.
This isn't the first comic book movie that Phoenix was rumored for. He was previously included in Marvel Studios' pool of actors in contention to play Doctor Strange, which Benedict Cumberbatch ultimately nabbed. Many are understandably excited to possibly see Phoenix's take on the iconic villain, especially considering the actor's impressive acting abilities. Now, fans finally have more information regarding the Joker origin movie, and as it turns out, it won't be that long before the film rolls out in theaters.
As part of the extensive report from THR with regard to all things DC, it has been revealed that the Phoenix-led Joker film is set to begin filming in the fall and will have a budget of $55 million. The new production date is only a few months delayed from the previously reported filming start, which was last month. According to reports, it's going to be separate from the DCEU and instead will be under a brand new movie label, which could be called DC Dark or DC Black. Unfortunately, THR didn't have any update about Jared Leto's own Joker spin-off, which is expected to be part of the already established canon.
Interestingly, the budget allotted for the project is significantly smaller than the usual money spent on superhero movies. It'll be curious to see what Phillips is planning for the film. But considering that it seems to be a character-driven film that doesn't need the extra money for intricate VFX shots and massive action sequences, it makes sense that Warner Bros. won't be giving more than what they actually need. After all, if there's anything that the studio should've learned from their past films, it's that just because the budget is big, a movie isn't necessarily guaranteed to be a success. It all boils down to a movie's story and with the kind of people involved in this particular project, there's a good chance the narrative for the prequel will be good.
This also lines with DC Films' new president, Walter Hamada's way of doing business. The producer worked on horror films such as IT and The Conjuring, making a name for himself doing low-budget but well-crafted films that result in better profit for the studio. This will be especially pivotal after Justice League, which had a huge budget (that even grew more due to the extensive reshoots) but performed poorly at the box office.
