‘Atlanta’ Star Zazie Beetz In Talks To Join Joaquin Phoenix In ‘Joker’

After the finalization of Joaquin Phoenix’s deal, preparation on the Warner Brothers Joker film, simply titled “Joker” seems to finally be on its way. Yesterday, it was announced that the release date of the film would be October 4, 2019, but the latest big news is that Zazie Beetz is in talks to join Phoenix in the film, according to The Wrap.

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“Joker” has a budget less than the Warner Brothers’ comic book movies, coming in at $55 million, which is significantly lower than films such as “Wonder Woman” and “Justice League” that had budgets of $149 million and $300 million respectively. Production on the film is set to begin this September in New York, with the tone of the movie rumored to be more experimental and darker, more similar to “The Killing Joke” than to other recent DC films.

Beetz gained traction for her work on the Donald Glover-led series “Atlanta” on FX, recently earning the actress an Emmy nomination. This role gained her high-profile roles in films such as “Deadpool 2,” an upcoming sci-fi film starring Natalie Portman, and Steven Soderbergh’s “High Flying Bird.”

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The script is penned by Todd Phillips, who is best known for “The Hangover,” and Scott Silver, who is known for “The Fighter.” While details on the script are being kept secret, if Beetz is to join the cast, it is reported that she would play a single mother who catches the interest of the Joker.

“Joker” will likely not be tied to “Suicide Squad,” which starred Jared Leto in the iconic role as the Clown Prince of Crime.”  However, there are multiple Joker-related projects in development at the moment, including “Suicide Squad 2” and a Harley Quinn spin-off film.