Director Todd Phillips is reportedly in talks to write and direct a sequel to Joker, with actor Joaquin Phoenix set to reprise his role as the Clown Prince. Wait, scratch that — no such thing is happening, depending on which outlet you believe.
A report from The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday said Phillips recently spoke with Warner Bros. about possibly making a sequel to Joker, which recently surpassed the $1 billion mark at the box office. What’s more, Phillips allegedly got the green light to develop an origin story for an unknown character, many of whom have speculated could be Lex Luthor.
A separate report from Deadline, however, completely contradicts THR, claiming Phillips has yet to discuss a sequel with Warner Bros., and no additional origin movie is in the works. So, who should we believe?
Considering how well Joker has performed at the box office, you can bet Warner Bros. is very anxious to green light a sequel. But can lightning strike twice? Joker found an audience because it tells the story of a disturbed man who is pushed too far. What happens after that?
We’ll find out eventually. Or we won’t. It’s unclear if a Joker sequel truly is in the cards, but after performing so well at the box office, Warner Bros. likely won’t be able to avoid temptation.