The origin of the Joker has always been a bit ambiguous, but the common basis of his ascension to become the clown prince of crime is that he fell into a vat of acid that bleached his skin pure white, dyed his hair green, his lips were colored ruby red. Of course, because there is no definitive story, everyone has a different interpretation. And now it looks like Warner Bros. wants to tell that story on the big screen by giving the Joker his own origins film.

Various reports confirm WB and DC are in the early stages of developing a Joker origins story. The Wolf of Wall Street‘s Martin Scorsese will be one of the film’s producers, while The Hangover‘s Todd Phillips is in talks to direct and co-write the script with 8 Mile‘s Scott Silver. More on the story below.

Deadline says the Joker origins story will be under a new banner that has yet to be named. Their goal is to expand the DC universe with new and unique storylines that aren’t a part of the current DCEU. By doing this they will have to use new actors playing iconic characters that aren’t already a part of the DCEU. This means that Jared Leto, who is signed on to reprise his role as Joker in the Suicide Squad sequel and the Harley Quinn spinoff Gotham City Sirens, will not be a part of this film. Now the search is on to find a new and young actor to take on the role that has been previously played by Jack Nicholson, the late Heath Ledger, and others.

Of course, details are limited as of the moment, but Variety says Philips and Silver’s script will explore Joker’s start as a criminal. According to their sources, the film will be more of a gritty hard-boiled crime drama than a traditional comic book movie. That gritty crime drama angle was what got Scorsese committed to the project. Some have compared it to the likes of Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, or The King of Comedy. So just imagine those films but with the Joker in them.

It’s unclear how the new banner will fit the film into the DC schedule.

Philips is perhaps best known for his work on The Hangover trilogy, and most recently War Dogs. Silver’s credits include The Fighter.

[Source: Deadline | Variety]