Phoenix set to star in Joker film

Joaquin Phoenix will star in Warner Bros.’ forthcoming origin film about the Joker, the comic-book villain, with “The Hangover’s” Todd Phillips directing.

The movie, which begins production later this year, centers on Batman’s nemesis and is billed as “an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen,” according to a Monday statement from Warner Bros.

“Phillips’ exploration of a man disregarded by society is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale,” the statement read.