'Joker' is set for release on October 4, 2019.

Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix

Warner Bros. confirmed last week that the upcoming dark film starring Joaquin Phoenix as Batman's greatest rival has been given the green light, and producers will need to get working on it soon as they have just announced that it's scheduled to hit cinema screens in just over a year's time - meaning it'll go up against Paramount's 'Gemini Man' and Fox's thriller 'The Woman in the Window' starring Amy Adams.

Not much else is known about the movie, but Phoenix recently teased that his portrayal of the villain - known for his pale face and scary red lips - would be "unique."

The 43-year-old actor said: "I wouldn't quite classify this as like any genre. I wouldn't say it's a superhero movie, or a studio movie or a ... It feels unique, and I think more then anything, and probably the most important thing, is Todd seems very passionate about it and very giving, and so that's exciting.

"I think, underneath the excitement of these films, and the size of them, there are these incredible characters that are dealing with real life struggles. And sometimes that is uncovered and exposed, and sometimes it isn't, and so I always felt, like, there were characters in comics that were really interesting and deserve the opportunity to be kind of studied. And so I think that's what Todd sees appealing about this idea."

'War Dogs' filmmaker Todd Phillips will direct from the script he co-wrote with '8 Mile' screenwriter Scott Silver, while Emma Tillinger Koskoff will produce.

The studio - which reportedly has a budget of $55 million to make the film - has described this iteration of the story as an "exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale".

Meanwhile, Warner Bros. is said to be working on a second Joker movie with Jared Leto reprising his 'Suicide Squad' turn as the Ace of Knaves in a standalone film.

The latest development comes after it seemed The Joker and Harley Quinn - played by Margot Robbie in the 2016 blockbuster - could be getting their own movie, which would delve into their "messed up" love story.

Robbie said previously: "I'm personally a sucker for a love story. In any iteration. I think people enjoy seeing two characters who, in Harley and Joker's case, would die for one another. It's kind of romantic in a messed up way."

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