Joker sequel 'in the works with Joaquin Phoenix and Todd Phillips set to return'
It looks like Warner Bros. are acting on the runaway success of the first film
Update: Todd Phillips has said he was caught off-guard by reports that a Joker sequel was in the works, hours after the initial reports.
"That was written about today, and I have to be honest, it came out of nowhere," Phillips told The Playlist. "It referred to a meeting that was never had.
"I thought it was anticipatory at best. Obviously, sequels have been discussed when a movie that cost $60 million made $1 billion, but we have not had any serious conversations about it."
It looks like we’re going to be getting a sequel to Joker after all, with reports suggesting Joaquin Phoenix and Todd Phillips will reunite on a second film.
It had long been suggested that a sequel starring Phoenix was unlikely, with Joker frequently billed as a standalone movie, but this looks to have changed following the huge success of the film.
The Hollywood Reporter has claimed that Phillips is in talks to return to the director’s seat, after Joker’s stellar display at the box office which has seen it surpass the $1 billion mark and become the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time.
It has been suggested that Phillips will also co-write the screenplay, as he did for the first film, with The Fighter screenwriter Scott Silver.
Phillips allegedly also pitched Warner Bros. an idea to develop a portfolio of DC characters' origin stories – although it is understood that this will not go ahead.
Joker has proven to be one of the biggest talking points of the year amongst film fans, winning both passionate praise and fierce criticism from various quarters.
Phoenix has been mooted by some pundits to be in with the chance of taking home the coveted Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of the character, following in the footsteps of Heath Ledger who won a posthumous Best Supporting Actor gong for his turn as the Joker in 2008’s The Dark Knight.
It is not yet clear what action might occur in a second Joker movie, or if there is a possibility that he might come face to face with Robert Pattinson’s Batman – who is set to appear for the first time in the summer of 2021.
Phillips previously ruled out the possibility, but he said much the same about a Joker sequel...
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
