New Joker Origin Movie Casts Joaquin Phoenix

A new (as yet untitled) movie is primed to begin filming in September featuring the origin of notorious Batman villain, The Joker. Very little is known so far about the plot of the stand-alone movie but a few details have been released to keep fans happy until shooting starts. Here's what we know so far...

Warner Bros. have confirmed that Her actor Joaquin Phoenix is stepping in to portray The Joker and the movie will be purely a stand-alone with no sequels or spin-offs. The film will be produced by legendary director Martin Scorsese, directed by Todd Phillips (The Hangover, War Dogs) with a screenplay penned by 8 Mile writer Scott Silver reportedly on a modest budget of around $55 million. The studio settled on Phoenix for the lead after considering James Franco, Bradley Cooper, Jake Gyllenhaal and even Star Wars actor Adam Driver. Leonardo DiCaprio was also strongly considered but turned down the role. With Quentin Tarantino's new production Once Upon a Time in Hollywood slated for release in 2019, DiCaprio is rushed off his feet as it is.

Robert DeNiro is reportedly also being eyed by the studio for a role in the movie. Given the legendary actor's flare for portraying historic mafiosos (and if the story is set in Gotham), could the role be Salvatore Maroni or Carmine Falcone? It remains to be seen.

The Joker has been portrayed by several great actors over the years. The character was originally played by Cesar Romero in Adam West's Batman TV series from 1966-68 and in 1966's Batman: The Movie. In Batman (1989) The Joker was portrayed by Jack Nicholson, then again in The Dark Knight (2008), with a legendary performance by the late Heath Ledger and finally by Jared Leto in 2016 movie Suicide Squad. Star Wars star Mark Hamill voiced The Joker in Batman: The Animated Series from 1992-1995 (as well as in the Arkham game series). A character named Jerome Valeska, thought by many viewers to be The Joker, was portrayed by Cameron Monaghan in Fox TV series Gotham (2014)

Related: The Dark Knight - 10 Years On

Joaquin Phoenix carries a reputation for being very picky about projects in which he chooses to involve himself. He's turned down multiple comic book roles, most recently of which was Doctor Strange, a role ultimately taken on by Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch. With Phoenix accepting this role, the implication is that the screenplay is of a high quality and the project is exciting and interesting enough to grab the attention of the fastidious actor. Perhaps a more interesting and certainly psychopathic character holds more appeal to his acting style.

A drastic rethink has almost certainly been on the cards for DC since some recent films have been tragically underwhelming and have left fans feeling sorely disappointed (except Wonder Woman, obviously). It looks like the new Joker movie may be a really exciting new project and may breathe some new life into the DC movie franchise; a series that has somewhat stagnated in recent years, unable to hold a candle to Christopher Nolan's powerhouse Dark Knight trilogy.

Related: Second Time Lucky - A Countdown of the Best Movie Sequels

Second Time Lucky – A Countdown of The Best Movie Sequels

Sequel movies tend to be renowned for being poorly made, poorly thought out and just generally known for being released solely to milk some extra cash out of a franchise. Although this is most often the case, there are a few surprise exceptions, some that proved to be even better than their predecessors! Let’s have a look at some of the best second instalments in movie history and one honourable mention of a third that just couldn’t be left out.

10. Hot Shots: Part Deux (1993)

The first Hot Shots movie, a 1991 parody of 80’s classic Top Gun (1986), captured audiences’ laughter with Charlie Sheen’s flawlessly straight-faced delivery of a fantastically funny character supported by the brilliant Lloyd Bridges and Valeria Golino. The sequel featured the return of the same stunning comedy style, this time, a parody of 1982 action hit Rambo with plenty of other hilarious references thrown in for good measure.

Better than the first one? Not quite.

9. X-Men 2 (2003)

The follow-up to 2000’s X-Men featured the return of the original cast of heroes for a new challenge against Wolverine’s nemesis William Stryker, hellbent on the genocide of all the world’s mutants. Some new characters added to the appeal of the movie including the insanely cool Nightcrawler played by Alan Cumming first seen in the incredible opening sequence, as well as Lady Deathstrike portrayed by Kelly Hu.

Better than the first one? By a narrow margin, yes.

8. Mission: Impossible II (2000)

Directed by Hollywood action mogul John Woo, M:I-2 remains a franchise favourite. Tom Cruise returns as the furtive IMF agent Ethan Hunt, ready to take down the next megalomaniac who threatens civilisation. In this case, it’s Scottish rogue agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) who has stolen a deadly bioweapon; an accelerated virus named Chimera, after the notorious monster in Greek Mythology. Ving Rhames returns to the cast and some new additions are added including Thandie Newton and classic “that-guy” actor Richard Roxburgh, a face that will be more than vaguely familiar to many viewers.

Better than the first one? Most definitely.

7. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

Universal’s second instalment in the Jurassic Park franchise adds a whole new dimension to the story. Ian Malcolm along with a team of widely skilled explorers embark on a falsely advertised mission to Site B to find a host of power-crazed bureaucrats hunting dinosaurs for sport and hatching a plan to capture them and ship them to San Diego as zoo exhibits. This obviously all ends in tears when they attempt to ship home a T-Rex which inevitably marches a path of destruction through central San Diego. New faces include Julianne Moore Vince Vaughn, Pete Postlethwaite and Peter Stormare.

Better than the first one? Stupid Question

Related: A Timeless Adventure Through Prehistory - 25 Years of Jurassic Park

6. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) *SPOILERS*

The new Star Trek reboots are all something quite spectacular. The new cast are shockingly reminiscent of the original Enterprise crew in both looks and manner (apart from Simon Pegg, but let’s be honest he’s so good he doesn’t need to be). The first reboot was incredible in itself, but the sequel absolutely blew fans away with the introduction of spectacularly talented British star Benedict Cumberbatch as the infamous Khan Noonien Singh. This film truly is more than deserving of addition to anyone’s list of the greatest movie sequels of all time.

Better than the first one? We didn’t think anything could be, but somehow, they did it.

5. Terminator 2 (1991)

T2 is a classic example of a sequel that surpassed the original. James Cameron’s follow-up to 1984’s The Terminator features the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic character (although a different, identical version) a cyborg sent from 2029 to protect John Connor, the future leader of the resistance (Edward Furlong). The movie introduces another terrifying antagonist the T-1000, a more advanced cyborg capable of dramatically changing its form to anything of a similar relative size. T2 features the usual weird time paradoxes and almost cringe-worthy dialogue but it’s difficult to deny that this movie is one of the most shamelessly entertaining sequels ever made.

Better than the first one? In every way.

4. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

The original series of Star Trek will always be the most iconic section of the franchise with the most memorable set of characters and the best stories. In the episode Space Seed (Season 1, Episode 22. February 16^th, 1967), fans were introduced to a frighteningly real and malevolent antagonist named Khan Noonien Singh. They find Khan in an ancient cryo-pod on a mysterious transport ship and bring him aboard the USS Enterprise. The second movie in the post-series franchise features the return of Khan, seeking his revenge on Captain Kirk and his crew. The sequel is a true science fiction classic.

Better than the first one? Absolutely.

3. The Dark Knight (2008)

Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy is quite definitely a collection of the best movies in the entire Batman franchise, making The Dark Knight arguably the best Batman movie ever made. Focusing more on the story’s villains rather than the protagonist himself sharpens a new point on comic book movies, changing the usual style of popular comic adaptations and making them darker in nature. This movie was a game-changer, bringing in Heath Ledger to portray The Joker… He did not disappoint! The character was so gripping and terrifying, some believe that he infected and killed Heath Ledger, the way a symbiote consumes its often-unwilling host. The film itself is packed with dramatic suspense and multi-dimensional characters. A better Batman movie may never be made again.

Better than the first one? They’re all amazing, but this one takes the gold.

Related: The Dark Knight - 10 Years On

2. Back to the Future: Part II (1989)

Let’s be honest, Back to the Future isn’t a series, it’s a single six-hour movie. That being said, if we absolutely must judge it as a trilogy, Part II has to take a spot in the movie sequel hall of fame. After the events of Part I (1985), Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) returns from the year 2015 in his iconic time-travelling DeLorean to collect young Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) with some grave news about his future kids. The pair encounter a new set of weird time paradoxes when the peculiar Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson) smuggles himself into the time machine and gives his past self a sports almanac that tells the future. Marty and the Doc arrive back in 1985 to find that their reality has been completely altered to a world in which Biff is a billionaire and they must rectify the mistake that changed history. Back to the Future Part II is a beautifully crafted feel-good family adventure that will live on for eternity; a true must-see sequel.

Better than the first one? Not quite, but you can’t blame them for trying.

1. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Empire undoubtedly one of the absolute greatest sequels ever made. Most would say that Star Wars is definitely the best and most definitive sci-fi movie saga in film history and they would be correct at every turn. The second instalment in the original trilogy took the story down a new street. The Death Star is gone, but the evil Darth Vader is still hellbent on finding young Luke at all costs. Fans were introduced to a couple of new characters now viewed as integral to the saga, namely Boba Fett, Lando Calrissian and the mighty Yoda. These movies remain an absolute must-own in every DVD collection and the new movies are still (elitist fan-boycott notwithstanding) a must-see at the pictures. The timeless mammoth of a franchise will always be a big part of the lives of sci-fi fans until the end of time.

Better than the first one? Very much down to personal preference. I would say, by just a hair, purely judging it as a more entertaining watch, yes.

Just for an honourable mention: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Okay, so technically Crusade is a third instalment but then again, technically 1984’s Temple of Doom is a prequel set prior to the events of Raiders so you know what, I’m counting it. This movie is fantastic. Harrison Ford’s iconic character Professor Indiana Jones joins another rag-tag cast of explorers and archaeologists (including his dad, played by the marvellous Sean Connery) to find the Holy Grail. Crusade is a top scorer in an already fantastic quadrilogy (soon to be a pentalogy) of great movies. It’s the epitome of the adventure genre.

Better than the first one? This one is going to get me killed, but yes. I think it is.

Related: Jon Kasdan Confirms Indiana Jones 5 Script With Hilarious Tweet

Sequels are always fun. We’re so much more excited about going to the cinema to see a movie that we already know about. Some are outstanding and even surpass the original. Some are appalling and should have been scrapped before they were made. However, in the interests of optimism, always remember that these great movies listed here DO exist. A good sequel is possible and happens more often than you think!

A Timeless Adventure Through Prehistory - 25 Years of Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park was first gifted to viewers on June 11^th, 1993 and since then, the franchise that followed has pulled down a colossal $4.6 billion worldwide. The film held the record for Steven Spielberg’s most successful movie until five years later when Titanic beat it to the top spot and it created so much interest in dinosaurs that since its release, record numbers of students have chosen to study palaeontology. It’s a timeless classic with an unbeatable cast and fantastically entertaining story arc.

The first instalment, based on the 1990 novel of the same name by Michael Crichton, could quite easily have been a gruesome horror but with the upbeat, relatable characters and more complex story, Jurassic Park became more of an exciting adventure with teeth. The rights of Crichton’s novel were purchased by Universal for $2 million before it was even published.

After the pre-plot scenes, the story begins when palaeontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and palaeobotanist Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) are approached by eccentric billionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) about endorsing a theme park. Along the way they meet a slimy lawyer (obvious dino-fodder), weird chaotician Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) and Hammond’s two grandchildren. It transpires that the park, based on a remote island off the coast of Costa Rica, is full of living cloned dinosaurs. The gigantic spectacle has been brought to life in order to attract patrons from all over the world to marvel at the power of Hammond’s creation. All goes wrong of course as a fiendish side-plot begins to unfold. Dennis Nedry, a computer technician at the park, tries to steal a handful of dinosaur embryos and smuggle them off the island but falls victim to a tropical storm and never makes it to the boat. In the wake of his sabotage of the park’s system, the island is left without power and is overrun by wild, de-extinct predators.

The second in the series, The Lost World (1997) takes place on a second island named Sorna. The story takes an odd turn as the island is invaded by money crazed bureaucrats, hatching a mad plan to take the dinosaurs back to the States and open a dino-zoo in San Diego, partaking in some light trophy hunting to pass the time. Chased by a family of T-Rex’, they must survive the harsh, predator-infested jungle and find safety. A single T-Rex is brought back to San Diego and obviously escapes into the city, killing everything in its wake.

Jurassic Park III (2001) begins as a young boy and his uncle are trapped on Isla Nublar after attempting to get a close look at some dinosaurs. The boy’s parents hire Alan Grant under false pretences to help them find their missing son, but things become even more dangerous as they discover new dinosaurs that weren’t on the original list. A deadly Spinosaurus chases the survivors across the island from end to end, eventually to find itself pitted against a T-Rex in a dramatic fight to the death.

Eventually after fourteen years of waiting, Universal gave us Jurassic World (2015), the story of a rejuvenated park on the same island on a much larger scale. Dr. Malcolm’s metaphor from the first film about “slapping it on a plastic lunchbox” has become even more of a vivid reality as the park becomes just another frivolous attraction. This time, they switch things up a little with the addition of Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) who has been working on taming a small family group of raptors. Alongside this, R&D at Jurassic World have developed a super-hybrid dinosaur designed specifically to be extra-terrifying to thrill fickle holidaymakers. The new monster escapes and terrorises the island, killing everything in sight.

Finally, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) brings us a new twist on the story as the original island is consumed by a deadly volcano, threatening to kill what’s left of dinosaur population. A few familiar characters return as a sick plan is hatched to “rescue” the dinosaurs and sell them off to the highest bidder, while secretly working on a new, much smaller genetic hybrid designed to be the ultimate weapon.

The Jurassic Park franchise has brought viewers into a unique world of thrilling adventures. We’ve had drama, comedy, romance and horror all in one single set of stories. We’ve had a spectacular cast of regulars and one-offs alike over the years creating both lovable and hate-inspiring characters. The franchise remains a true lesson for humanity, a lesson that they never seem to learn: just because you can do something, it doesn’t mean you should.

American History X - The Weird Story of a 20 Year-Old Cult Classic

In 1998, New Line Cinema brought us the brutal, hard-hitting tragedy American History X. The film starring Edward Norton portrays the savage world of skinhead neo-Nazi gang culture in California in the late 90’s and the horrific ideas that it represents. The movie gained cult status and has been ranked at #33 on IMDb’s Top 250 list.

The story is loosely based on the life of Frank Meeink, a reformed white supremacist who was arrested at age seventeen for the armed kidnapping of a rival gang member and spent three years in prison in Illinois. During his prison time, Meeink found common ground with African American inmates and after a brief return to his old life upon his release, he found he had grown past his prejudice and turned to lecturing against white supremacy, hate and violence in schools.

The story explores the warped logic and values rampant in neo-Nazi culture, following white supremacist gang leader Derek Vinyard (Norton) and his battle against his own vicious ideology. After shooting dead two African American men he catches breaking into his car, Vinyard is sentenced to three years in prison, during which time he experiences a new perspective as he befriends black inmates and is victimised and violently attacked by white ones. His younger brother Danny, played by Edward Furlong (Terminator 2), begins to walk the same line, under the venomous influence of neo-Nazi kingpin Cameron Alexander (Stacy Keach) and is acting out at school. After Danny turns in an essay arguing for Adolf Hitler as a civil rights hero, his teacher Doctor Sweeney (Avery Brooks) assigns him a new project; to write a piece reflecting on how his life was affected by the events leading to his brother’s incarceration.

American History X began shooting in March 1997 with a production budget of $10 million. The project started under the direction of music video and commercial director Tony Kaye with a screenplay by David McKenna (Blow, S.W.A.T.). After Joaquin Phoenix turned down the role of Derek Vinyard on the grounds that the film’s subject matter was too intense, the part was offered to Edward Norton, against the wishes of the director. Norton accepted the job for around a fifth of his usual ‘$1m per film’ rate and even passed on a role in Saving Private Ryan to make time for shooting which was later offered to Matt Damon instead. Norton shaved his head and piled on an astounding twenty-five pounds of muscle for the role, as well as spending hours in makeup before each of several topless scenes perfecting his Nazi brand tattoos. He was rewarded with an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his efforts and his outstanding performance in the film.

Some famous filming locations were also briefly used in the movie. Sharper-eyed viewers may recognise the diner towards the end of the movie frequented by the Vinyard Brothers, as Johnie’s Coffee Shop on Wilshire Boulevard, L.A., the very same diner from The Big Lebowski, City of Angels and the opening scene from Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 cult classic, Reservoir Dogs. Danny Vinyard is seen attending Venice High School, California, the set of TV series Glee and 1978’s definitive movie musical Grease.

The controversy began during post-production when two director’s cuts were rejected by New Line. Editor Jerry Greenberg was drafted in to collaborate with Norton on the third and final cut. Director Tony Kaye was outraged with the final edit claiming it completely changed the film’s tone and message and attempted to disassociate himself with it altogether. He tried invoking the so-called ‘Alan Smithee pseudonym’, a device used by the Director’s Guild of America to replace a director’s name in the credits when they are able to prove that their creative control over a project has been overthrown. One condition for the support of the DGA in matters such as these is that a director must not publicly disparage the project which Kaye had already done on several occasions and as such, his request was denied.

After Kaye heard that the film was to be premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, he immediately boarded a plane from Germany to protest the release and force festival organisers to pull the film from the line-up. He filed a $200m lawsuit against New Line Cinema demanding that his name in the credits be changed to ‘Humpty Dumpty’ as a protest. The lawsuit was crushed shortly afterwards. Executives at New Line had tried to call a meeting with Kaye to calm the situation. Kaye responded in the form of an eccentric stunt, arriving at the meeting with a priest, a rabbi and Buddhist monk he hired to support his case. Kaye created a documentary about the fiasco with New Line and the DGA entitled Humpty Dumpty, but it was never released. His relationship with Hollywood remains fairly rocky to this day and he wouldn’t finally agree to watch the released cut of the film until 2009. His real name is still on the credits.

American History X remains a cult classic with a fascinating plot and an even more fascinating behind-the-scenes production story. The brutal reality of racism and gang culture makes for an emotional rollercoaster of a movie. At some points, the film is downright disturbing and upsetting, but it is a reflection of the awful truth; an ideology that has repeatedly led to the worst atrocities in human history. It’s a fantastic watch but do approach with caution. It’s not an experience to be taken lightly!

Pirates of the Caribbean: A Classic Franchise 15 Years in the Making

The first Pirates of the Caribbean movie The Curse of the Black Pearl directed by Gore Verbinski, was released worldwide on July 9^th, 2003 and jumped straight into the hearts of viewers with its intricate story and adorably eccentric characters. Five movies and fifteen years later, the franchise has pulled down almost $4.5 billion worldwide against a total budget of just under a billion and a half and has been nominated for eleven Oscars, two Golden Globes, thirteen MTV Movie Awards, five BAFTAs and an award from the prestigious Screen Actors’ Guild for Johnny Depp.

The franchise is based on a series of theme park attractions at various Disney resorts, the first of which was opened at Disneyland in Anaheim, California in 1967. The idea of making a movie based on the theme park ride was first spawned in the early 1990’s by Shrek screenwriters Terry Russio and Ted Elliot. Their idea was to put a supernatural edge on a story based around the Golden Age of Piracy, a genre that had somewhat fizzled out of the Hollywood trend. Disney grabbed the idea with both hands and drafted Jay Wolpert (The Count of Monte Cristo) to write the script for The Curse of the Black Pearl in 2001.

In 2002, the script was taken back to the drawing board and finally rewritten by rookie screenwriter Stuart Beattie who later went on to pen neo-noir crime thriller Collateral starring Tom Cruise, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra in 2009. The script was fused in with Russio and Elliot’s ideas on a Supernatural theme which grabbed the attention of acclaimed producer Jerry Bruckheimer, a Hollywood figurehead who had previously rejected the script. The studio finally settled on the collaborative screenplay and on Johnny Depp to play Jack Sparrow despite previous interest in Matthew McConaughey, Christopher Walken, Cary Elwes, Michael Keaton and Jim Carrey for the lead. After signing Gore Verbinski to direct the movie in May of 2002, Disney were all set to begin filming.

As all fans will already know (although I’m going to explain it anyway because I personally love the movie), the plot of the first instalment follows Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), a blacksmith in the service of the British Navy at Port Royal who is hopelessly in love with Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), daughter of the Governor (Jonathan Pryce). All hell breaks loose when notorious pirate Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) infiltrates the fort to commandeer a ship of the fleet and is captured and imprisoned by newly appointed Commodore Norrington (Jack Davenport) The fort is later attacked by a crew of undead pirates aboard the legendary Black Pearl under the command of Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) who captures Miss Swann and sails away into the night. Turner and Sparrow team up to steal the fastest ship in the fleet and with a rag-tag band of pirates they hire on the Isle of Tortuga, they set out to break the curse and reclaim the Governor’s daughter.

The Curse of the Black Pearl has become one of the world’s favourite feel-good movies of the early noughties. It made only $46 million in its opening weekend against a budget of $140m and viewership slowed gradually, although by the time the movie left cinemas in January of 2004, it had grossed over $300m in domestic sales and an impressive $654m worldwide. The adventure of Jack Sparrow and his band of pirates was an instant hook amongst fans who cried out for a sequel.

The crew signed on for two more films that were to be shot back-to-back and a new serial story beginning with Dead Man’s Chest began development in June 2004. The sequels would follow some new characters in a totally new supernatural setting and introduce the legendary ghost ship The Flying Dutchman along with its captain Davy Jones. The movie and its sequel were released in 2006 and 2007 respectively. With a combined budget of $525 million, the two sequels made a combined total of just under $1.3bn worldwide.

Two years after the release of At World’s End (2007), Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer decided that although the trilogy was over, a new spin-off story introducing new characters could well work. Elliot and Russio began working on a script based on the novel On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers. Disney bought the rights to the book and the movie began to take shape. With a net budget of $378.5 million, the film holds the record for being the most expensive movie ever made and pulled down just over $1bn at the worldwide box office.

During this time, crew were made aware that Disney planned to release another two instalments back to back. This plan was scrapped late in 2011 and it transpired that only one more film was currently being considered. In July 2014, a new script by Rush Hour 2 & 3 writer Jeff Nathanson, featuring a fresh new villain and the return of Will Turner, was given the green light by Disney execs and production began. The film was released in July 2017 and attained just $172.5 million in domestic box office takings against a colossal budget of $230m.

The Pirates of the Caribbean series has certainly had its ups and downs but I think we can all agree that it’s an exemplary marathon-worthy franchise of easy feel-good films perfect for those moments we all have that require a return to a DVD we’ve already seen ten times before. We never tire of these movies. They’re fun, they’re dramatic, they’re complex and simple in equal measure. They’re easy to watch over and over again, reliving the exploits of lovable, endlessly entertaining characters. Fifteen years later, it’s still a big franchise favourite. Break out the boxset, crack open the family-sized bottle of coke and the giant bag of crisps, put your feet up and enjoy the adventure all over again!