Joker & Harley Quinn Movie Script Done; It's Bad Santa Meets This Is Us

JesiDwarte Temmuz 09, 2021

https://ift.tt/2zndnmT

The script for Joker and Harley Quinn is complete. Though 2016's Suicide Squad was not exactly a critical darling, it was a tremendous box office success - grossing $746.8 million worldwide against an $175 million production budget. Margot Robbie's take on fan-favorite Harley Quinn was one of the film's best-received elements, so Warner Bros. unsurprisingly decided to make Harley a focal point of their film slate. The character is reportedly the subject of no more than four in-development movies, one of which is a spinoff detailing the complicated relationship between Harley and the Joker.

Screen Rant broke the news about this particular project last year, with Crazy, Stupid, Love directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa attached at the helm. Jared Leto is supposed to reprise his role as the Joker, but other than that, details about this particular movie are hard to come by. However, it still seems to be in the pipeline, as its screenplay is now finished.

In an interview with Metro, Ficarra and Requa provided an update on Joker and Harley Quinn, revealing they recently wrapped up the script. Ficarra explained how the duo drew from their history to (hopefully) provide the genre with a fresh take:

"It is great. The whole thing starts with Harley kidnapping Dr. Phil. Played by Dr. Phil hopefully. Because her and the Joker are having problems with their relationship... It was sort of like, we wrote 'Bad Santa' a couple of years ago, and it was that sensibility mixed with our 'This Is Us' sensibility. We kind of meshed them together."

That's certainly an interesting pair of influences, but it's a combination that may prove to be perfect for Joker and Harley Quinn. The Emmy-winning This is Us is renowned for its ability to pack one emotional punch after another, often to heartbreaking effect. Given how integral the love story is to Joker and Harley's dynamic, it certainly makes sense to tap into This Is Us, which will hopefully allow audiences to become invested in their relationship. Of course, this is all through the filter of Bad Santa, which is a gloriously vulgar comedy that found much of its humor from the characters acting inappropriately. It isn't outlandish to suggest Joker and Harley have a few screws loose, so it'll be fun to see what their idea of love is and how they intend on repairing their various issues. Additionally, this setup sounds quite different from other comic book adaptations, which should let it stand out.

Of course, the bigger question is when (or if) Joker and Harley Quinn sees the light of day. In the aftermath of Justice League's underwhelming box office performance, Warner Bros. is taking a step back, reportedly aiming to "reset" the DC Movie Universe. There's also the matter of Birds of Prey, another Harley vehicle that's currently casting its other leads and should begin filming in early 2019. Even Ficarra and Requa are unsure of when Joker and Harley Quinn will move forward, so for now, all fans can do is play the waiting game and hope for the best.