For years, the Clown Prince of Crime has been a point of fascination for comic book fans, but with talk of a Joker and Harley Quinn spinoff movie, coupled with that embryonic origin flick from Warner’s newly-announced DC banner, the Joker has been occupying headlines left, right and center.
Having drafted Martin Scorsese into the equation, word is Warner Bros. wants to net Leonardo DiCaprio for the standalone pic. It would undoubtedly be a historic coup for the studio, though reports indicate Jared Leto, star of Suicide Squad and David Ayer’s forthcoming Gotham City Sirens, is none too pleased with the development.
Regardless of whether those allegations are true, Leto, who will next appear via Blade Runner 2049 in October, remains attached to reprise as Batman’s arch-nemesis for Suicide Squad 2, which has now placed Gavin O’Connor (The Accountant) in the driving seat. The chances of production getting underway anytime before fall 2018 are reportedly slim to none, but now that the search for a director is over, Task Force X can finally begin preparations for the sophomore outing.
Gotham City Sirens, on the other hand, is still simmering in pre-production, and two months ago David Ayer (Bright) took to Twitter to allay fears that he’s no longer directing the female-fronted spinoff. Released in July, that Tweet was a simple photo that arrived with no caption, and it seems Ayer is up to his old tricks once more.
Over the weekend, the filmmaker took to the social media platform to share a candid shot of the Joker and Harley Quinn, dancing in the dream-like sequence that featured in the first Suicide Squad movie. It’s a scene that clearly pays homage to Alex Ross’ iconic shot, and you can go up close and personal with Ayer’s latest status report, below:
— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) September 16, 2017
Exactly what this means, though, is another question entirely. Perhaps David Ayer is simply reaffirming his commitment to Gotham City Sirens? Or is the one-time Suicide Squad director teasing his involvement in that aforementioned Joker and Harley Quinn spinoff? As always, we’ll keep you right up-to-date as this story unfolds.