The origin story of the classic Batman villain, The Joker, is to be told in a new movie. Written by The Hangover director Todd Philips and Scott Silver, who penned the 2002 Eminem movie 8 Mile, it will apparently take its inspiration from Martin Scorsese movies like Taxi Driver with a hard boiled story and setting. According to Deadline, Scorsese is signed on to produce.

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The Joker himself is yet to be cast, and while Jared Leto is currently playing the character in the DC expanded universe – including the Suicide Squad sequel and Gotham City Sirens – the new film “will launch the character with a different actor, possibly younger” in a “gritty and grounded” crime film set in early-‘80s Gotham City. There is no word on when the film might be released.

Jack Nicholson brought The Joker to life in 1989’s Batman, which featured the villain's first on-screen origin story – a gangster named 'Jack Napier' falls in a vat of acid, if you haven't seen it in a while.

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Yet despite first appearing back in 1940, the Joker in the comics has never had a definitive creation story – leaving plenty of room for interpretation. As the Clown Prince of Crime says in The Killing Joke, one of his most famous stories: "If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!"

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Ellie HarrisonWriter, RadioTimes.com

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Create an image depicting a festive scene with elements from the top Christmas songs, such as a snowy New York for 'Fairytale of New York', a cozy home setting for 'Last Christmas', and a glamorous Christmas party for 'All I Want for Christmas Is You'. Include musical notes and festive decorations to represent the spirit of these iconic Christmas songs.

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An image depicting a festive scene with iconic Christmas elements such as a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with twinkling lights, snow gently falling, and perhaps a cozy fireplace in the background. The image should capture the essence of popular Christmas songs, with musical notes and lyrics subtly included in the design, representing a playlist of classic Christmas tunes.

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Immediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live events

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