To sum up the info below...Sean Penn was their first choice for Joker, and he passed, and the creator of Joker will advise/consult during the shoot. They're using the plotline of the very first Joker appearance from Batman #1 mixed with his "comeback" story from the 70s called "The Joker's Five-Way Revenge." That's the story that transformed him from an idiot(the 60s series Romero garbage) to the maniac that kills his own men and for his own perverse reasons. Elements of the "The Killing Joke" will presumably be thrown in, too, given that's the Joker back story one off.
Quote:
According to INSOMNICAMANIA.COM, Jerry Robinson -- who was instrumental in the creation of The Joker -- will work as an advisor/consultant on THE DARK KNIGHT...
“Our Best Source” is back with some interesting revelations:
“You might want to dig up one of my ‘scoops’ for you from a long time ago -- just after Goyer leaked that The Joker would be in the sequel.
If you recall, I let you know that they would be going back to The Joker's first ever appearance, in BATMAN #1 1940, as the plot-line for the sequel. They will also be mixing in some plot threads from The Joker's celebrated ‘comeback’ tale from the 1970s, ‘The Joker's Five-Way Revenge.’
You may also be interested to know that Sean Penn was their first choice for Joker, and passed.
Doing an article search on one-time candidate, Aussie Lachy Hulme, I also found an old article in an Australian newspaper comparing him to Sean Penn in terms of looks and acting style. Small world, eh?”
He's right on with that Joker inspiration info -- I remember distinctly that info. It's somewhere in the archives and I'll dig through them later and find his scoop (Unless one of you BOF'ers beats me to it). Anyway, I found this blurb on "The Joker's 5 Way Revenge" from WIKIPEDIA.ORG:
THE GREATEST JOKER STORIES EVER TOLD "In 1973, the character was revived and profoundly revised in the BATMAN comic stories by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams. Beginning in BATMAN #251 with the story "The Joker's Five Way Revenge", the Joker became a homicidal maniac who casually murdered people - even his own henchmen - on a whim, but enjoyed the battle of wits with Batman. This take on the character has been predominant since. Steve Englehart, in his short but well-received run on the book, added elements deepening the severity of the Joker's insanity."
