UPDATE: THR’s rival Hollywood outlet, Deadline, is throwing some cold water on this report. According to Deadline, there is no current deal in place to produce Joker 2. Additionally, the outlet claims that the pitch meeting between Phillips and Warner Bros. never happened. That also means that the bit about Phillips developing another DC origin movie may be inaccurate as well.
So, which industry outlet got it right? Only time will tell. Our original story is below.
When Joker was announced, it was supposedly a stand alone origin film that wouldn’t be the start of a franchise. However, Todd Phillips’ film crossed $1 billion over the weekend, which gave Warner Bros. added incentive to officially pursue a sequel.
Via The Hollywood Reporter, Phillips is developing a Joker sequel and he will likely write and direct it as well. Joaquin Phoenix is also expected to reprise his role as the Joker. But the biggest revelation from THR’s report is that Phillips has grander ambitions. Apparently, Phillips pitched Warner Bros. for “the rights to develop a portfolio of DC characters’ origin stories.” Warner Bros. turned down that overall proposal, but gave Phillips the go-ahead to work on one of those DC origins. However, it’s unclear which DC character will be the focus of that story.
RELATED: Joker Will Arrive on HBO Max in May 2020
Phillips recently addressed what the sequel would need during an interview with The Los Angeles Times.
“It couldn’t just be this wild and crazy movie about the ‘Clown Prince of Crime,’” explained Phillips. “It would have to have some thematic resonance in a similar way that this does. Because I think that’s ultimately why the movie connected, it’s what’s going on underneath. So many movies are about the spark, and this is about the powder. If you could capture that again in a real way, that would be interesting.”
So far, there’s no timetable for Joker‘s sequel to begin production. However, it seems likely to happen sooner rather than later.
What do you want to see in a potential Joker sequel? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Joker (DC Black Label Edition)
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