We may have found The Joker’s mom.American Horror Storystar Frances Conroy is currently in talks to star in theJokerorigin movie alongside Joaquin Phoenix, who is already on board as the iconic DC villain.Frances Conroywill play a woman named Penny who is reportedly going to be sick and possibly dying during the events of the movie and has an obsession with her former employer. At the present time, it’s unclear how sizable the role will be as plot details for the movie are being kept under wraps by the studio.
We previously reported thatThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouristar and recent Oscar-winnerFrances McDormand was offered the role of Pennyin the movie, which is simply titledJokerbut turned it down. From one Frances to another, or so it would seem. Frances Conroy, in addition to her various roles onAmerican Horror Storyover the years has also starred inSix Feet Under,How I Met Your Motherand the recent TV adaptation of Stephen King’sThe Mist. She may not be as big of a name as McDormand, but Conroy has been in the business for a very long time and has a great deal of experience.
One of the actress' more interesting credits, as it relates to theJokerorigin movie, is alsoset within the DC universe. Frances Conroy starred as Ophelia alongside Halle Berry in the maligned 2004 live-actionCatwomanmovie. With the talent involved in thisJokermovie, we can only assume Warner Bros. won’t make a total trainwreck along those lines. The cast, so far, also may include Robert De Niro andDeadpool 2star Zazie Beetz, who are both currently in negotiations to star in key roles as well.
Todd Phillips, known best for his work onThe Hangovertrilogy, is directing with a script he wrote withScott Silver, who previously penned8 MileandThe Fighter. While The Joker’s origin story has always been left intentionally vague by DC Comics over the years, it’s been previously reported that this movie will take inspiration from Alan Moore’sThe Killing Joke, which sees the character as afailed comedianwhose wife is murdered, leading him to become the villain we all know. Martin Scorsese’sThe King of Comedyhas also been cited as a supposed source of inspiration.
Production is set to begin in September, with Warner Bros. set to release the movie on August 03, 2025.Jokerwill be set outside the continuity established in the current DC live-action movie universe, meaning that Jared Leto’s version of the character is still kicking around and will show up again elsewhere. Leto is currently developing his ownJokersolo movie and he’s also expected to reprise his role inSuicide Squad 2. We’ll be sure to keep you up to date as more details on the project are made available. This news comes to us courtesy ofThe Wrap.
