DC's 'Joker' Origin Film Takes A Step Forward

09/20/2017 08:32 pm EDT

DC Films may be busy with its burgeoning Extended Universe, but the company is also interested in making films outside of the franchise. Earlier this year, news broke that Warner Bros. was developing an origin film for the Joker which would fit outside of the DCEU. And, if a new report is right, then the movie may begin filming sooner rather than later.

Variety's Justin Kroll took to Twitter not long ago to comment on the Joker movie's progress. The DC insider said he's "heard The Joker script will be turned in by next week."

"[That's] super fast considering when [the] announcement went out," Kroll continued. "Bodes well for a 2018 shoot."

There's no release date associated with the Joker spin-off yet, but DC Films is clearly rushing the project forward. The movie was only announced in August, but work on the project may have started a while back.

So far, there's little information available about the Joker origin tale, but rumors have suggested the movie will be a dark one. In a previous article shared by Deadline, the site said the spin-off will have a dark setting. The Joker movie was said to be like a 1980s crime drama similar to Taxi Driver and Raging Bull.

Warner Bros. has yet to comment on the film since its announcement, but one source has addressed the project. Former MMA fighter Brendan Schuab spoke about the project to Joe Rogan as the celebrity is friends with director Todd Phillips' agent.

"My boy [agent] Todd Feldman put this together with Todd Phillips," Schaub said. "It's dark. It's like a dark Joker. As a kid, he had a permanent smile and everyone made fun of him. It's like on the streets of Brooklyn. It's super dark and real."

If Warner Bros. approves the film's script, fans can expect things to pick up quickly. No actors have been brought on as of yet to play the Joker, but reports suggest DC Films is eyeing a few stars in particular. In fact, Leonardo DiCaprio is the most recent star to have his name attached to the role.

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