The Joker film has a production date: Possible comic influences

Warner Brothers are gearing up to unleash a Joker film upon us, and with news of a production date, we take a look at a couple of comic book influences the film might use!

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Earlier today, a tweet from Jeff Schneider who works at The Wrap, indicated the new standalone story of the Joker would possibly begin filming in May. His tweet was a little angry and infused with expletives, so I’m going to leave the link here for those who wish to have the option of reading it.  This said the details of his screenshots suggest the film will begin going behind the cameras shortly.

I have not been a fan of the idea of making an origin film for the Joker, mainly because his mystery is what makes him so compelling. Hollywood does not care about what I want though, and this movie is inevitable. With this in mind, let’s speculate on what possible influences the film might draw from.

There are two distinct graphic novels I see this film using influences from:

#1 The Killing Joke

This one seems like the obvious go-to for a Joker origin film. In The Killing Joke, the story tells two different narratives simultaneously involving the Joker. The first involves a very sadistic tale involving a demented plan Joker has for making Commissioner Gordon lose his mind. The second story involves the tragic origin of the Joker himself.

If the standalone film pulls influence from this story, it means Joaquin Phoenix would be playing a working man who leaves his job to become a comedian, who has a tragic event that causes his transformation into The Joker. I’m not a big fan of The Killing Joke, but with Martin Scorsese as the producer, anything is possible.

The origin story in this novel also involves the mafia, and mobster films are definitely in Scorsese’s wheelhouse. It’s not my favorite Batman comic, but there’s plenty of room to improve upon it with the right people involved.

#2 Brian Azzarello’s Joker

Joker is one of the most disturbing tales of the character ever told, but for a possible direction where this movie might head it makes complete sense. The story revolves around Joker getting released from Arkham Asylum and setting his sights on retaking Gotham. The result is a disturbing and bizarre series of events of Joker retaking the throne by crushing all the villains in his way.

The Joker film is said to take place in the 80s, which seems to be a move to make the film have homages to Scarface. The comic Joker is very close to that film, as far as the story structure of a thug rising to the top. The difference is Joker has been locked away, and now he is free to do as he pleases once again. I would not be shocked if we see a bunch of inspiration from this novel, as well as from Joaquin Phoenix’s performance.

Will The Joker film pull from these graphic novels? Only time will tell. The famous villain has been around for years, and there is tons of material to make a solid story within the Batman universe.

Next: Will the Aquaman movie set a new course for DC?

The Joker film does not have a release date yet, but stay tuned for more updates at Hidden Remote!

What do you think? What is your favorite story involving the Joker? Are you excited about the new film starting production? Tell us in the comments below!