Warner Bros. reportedly wants Leonardo DiCaprio to play The Joker in the upcoming origin film
Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the studio will "make an ambitious attempt" to bring in Leonardo DiCaprio as the film's star.
Martin Scorsese, a longtime DiCaprio collaborator, was reported to be joining the movie as a producer last month, and the outlet's sources say that the studio will try to lure DiCaprio "into the world of comic-book movies" through Scorsese.
The report notes, however, that no offer has been made for DiCaprio at this time, and according to their sources, Scorsese isn't even finalized yet.
According to the initial scoop from Deadline, Todd Phillips ("The Hangover") will be directing the film, cowriting the script with Scott Silver ("8 Mile"), and producing alongside Scorsese.
The Joker origin movie will be the first title in a spin-off of Warner Bros.' DC Comics Extended Universe that will delve deeper into the DC catalog to focus on iconic characters.
Jared Leto, who starred as The Joker in 2016's "Suicide Squad," will not be playing the character in Phillips and Scorsese's film. THR's sources say that Leto was "caught off-guard" by the plans for a separate Joker movie, and that he "made his displeasure" known to his agents.