The Joker will unleash chaos in movie theatres in 2019.
Warner Bros has set an October 4, 2019, release date for its standalone Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix.
The studio made the announcement on Wednesday ahead of the start of Comic-Con.
Warner Bros indicated the Joker will have a dark tone.
It said the film, directed by Todd Phillips, is an "exploration of a man disregarded by society that is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale." Scott Silver co-wrote the script with Phillips.
The studio gave the greenlight to the origin movie earlier this month. Variety first reported that Phoenix was in talks to play the Clown Prince of Crime.
As soon as his deal was finalised, the studio set a September start date with a budget in the moderate $US55 million range.
Jared Leto most recently played the Joker in 2016's Suicide Squad and will be back for the superhero sequel. Warner Bros is also developing Leto's own standalone movie that will be separate from Phoenix's Joker project.
The Phoenix film will delve into what it took for the Joker to become a criminal mastermind.
Joker becomes the third title slated for October 4, 2019, joining Fox's thriller The Woman in the Window and Paramount's sci-fi Gemini Man.
Australian Associated Press
