AceShowbiz -

A Joker and Harley Quinn film is in development at Warner Bros. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio is circling Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, the filmmakers behind 2011's "Crazy, Stupid, Love." and directors and executive producers of the hit NBC drama "This Is Us", to develop the film.

Ficarra and Requa are in final negotiations with the studio to pen and direct the untitled Joker and Harley Quinn project. The film focusing on the Batman villains will see Jared Leto and Margot Robbie reprising their roles as the maniacal villain and the pig-tailed antihero respectively. Leto's Joker and Robbie's Harley Quinn made their debut in last year's "Suicide Squad".

The plan is for this film to be released after the studio makes a sequel to "Suicide Squad", insiders tell the news outlet. "Suicide Squad 2" is on the development fast-track and out to directors. But the Joker and Harley Quinn movie is moving fast, too, as the studio has to contend with actors' holding agreements, add the sources. One source says the film is described as a "criminal love story" featuring the crazed lovebirds who are cornerstones in the Batman mythos.

Should the new film come after the second "Suicide Squad", the planned "Gotham City Sirens" will most likely be pushed back. No details like other characters, plot points or release date have been revealed, but if it's taking the place of the female-driven film in the DCEU filming schedule, fans could be seeing the "criminal love story" as early as 2018.

Additionally, the new Joker-Harley Quinn movie would not be affiliated with the recently-announced Joker solo movie focusing on the origin story of the maniacal villain. The latter is said to look for a new actor to play the green-haired character. Todd Phillips, the filmmaker behind "The Hangover" trilogy, has been hired to help develop the project, reportedly co-writing the script and possibly directing the film. Rumor has it, Martin Scorsese is involved in the producing.