by: James A. Barnes

Warner Bros. has officially green-lit the Todd Phillips Joker Origin film starring Joaquin Phoenix. The film will start shooting this September and will have a production budget in the $55 million dollar range.

Scott Silver and Todd Phillips are attached to co-write the film which will tell the story of how the Joker became the clown prince of crime. Sources say that the film will be a gritty crime drama set in the 1980's.

Emma Tillinger Koskoff (The Wolf of Wall Street) will produce the Joker origin film, and Richard Baratta will be the executive producer.

The Hollywood Reporter was first to report on the project.