Is Todd Phillips co-writing the sequel for Joaquin Phoenix's 'Joker'?
Actor Joaquin Phoenix-starrer Joker, which was released in 2019, is making headlines once again. A sequel of the psychological thriller is in the works and according to media reports, writer and director Todd Phillips is back to co-write it. The original Joker movie drew inspiration from Martin Scorsese's film Taxi Driver and showed the Batman villain from an entirely unique perspective.
Interestingly, the news about Phillips co-writing the sequel to Joker was buried inside a story about Hollywood's Top 100 Attorneys by The Hollywood Reporter. An entry for a lawyer named Warren Dern inside the long article says, "Todd Phillips struck a deal to co-write the next Joker installment." However, no one from Warner Bros. has officially commented on the exciting news yet.
Another story from The Hollywood Reporter also claims that the Joker film does have a sequel planned. The article mainly talks about the upcoming Warner Bros. film about Superman, but it also confirmed that Joker and its planned sequel would take place in the same universe. Although Joker was originally intended to be a standalone film, a possibility of a sequel announcement is imminent.
However, news of a Joker sequel hasn't elicited a positive response from the fans. Die-hard comic book fans are criticizing the "unnecessary" sequel and asking to make way for the development of different villain stories instead. "Why do we need Joker 2? One was fine," a Twitter user said. "I can not think of a less necessary movie than Joker 2," another user added.
Based on DC Comics characters, Joker was a fan favorite and a major box office success. It is the first-ever R-rated film to gross over $1 billion at the box office. Besides Phoenix, the film also stars Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, and Brett Cullen, among others. The film won two Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards.
