'Joker' starring Joaquin Phoenix receives October 2019 release date

July 19 (UPI) -- Warner Bros. and DC's upcoming Joker origin film starring Joaquin Phoenix will be released on Oct. 4, 2019.

Warner Bros. made the announcement Wednesday as the studio prepares to host a special presentation on a number of their upcoming films on Saturday during the San Diego Comic-Con.

Joker, from director Todd Phillips who co-wrote the project with Scott Silver, is described as being a gritty character study with a dark tone. Emma Tillinger Koskoff is producing along with Richard Baratta executive producing.

The film will take place outside of DC's extended film universe and would help launch a new DC Comics banner at Warner Bros. that will allow the studio to tell unique comic book stories using different actors in the the title roles.

The Joker was last portrayed by Jared Leto in Suicide Squad who is expected to reprise the role in a Suicide Squad sequel and in a standalone film that Leto is executive producing.