'Joker' Origin Movie br Starring Joaquin Phoenix br Gets Release Date Warner Bros. has announced that 'Joker' will premiere on Oct 4, 2019. The film is being br directed by Todd Phillips and is an "exploration of a man disregarded br by society that is not only a gritty character br study, but also a broader cautionary tale." Once Joaquin was finalized to play the role, the studio set a September start date for production within the $55 million range. The most recent portrayal br of the Joker was br carried out by Jared Leto br in 2016's 'Suicide Squad.' Leto will return as the character in the sequel and will also get his own br standalone movie, which will be br separate from Phoenix's Joker project. Joker joins Fox's thriller, br The Woman in the Window,br and Paramount's sci-fi flick, Gemini Man, br on their respective Oct. 4, 2019 release dates.