A sequel to 2019’s Joker is officially in the works, director Todd Philips has confirmed.
Previous reports indicated a follow-up was in development, but Philips just took to Instagram to definitively confirm Joker 2 is happening. Philips co-wrote the first movie with Scott Silver, and the duo will be reunited for this sequel. Presumably, Philips will also step back into the directing chair for Joker 2, although that remains unconfirmed.
The post also appears to confirm the name of this comic book sequel: Joker Folie à Deux. This is definitely a slightly more interesting choice than simply Joker 2, but will probably lead to a lot of confusion among the general audience. A more straightforward pick like Joker Part II would have been a little easier to understand.
However, aside from forcing us to brush up on our high school French, this title might actually give us a clue as to a major new character in Joker 2. Folie à Deux is a term for a mental disorder shared by two people, which has led to fan speculation that Joker’s long-term sidekick/girlfriend Harley Quinn could appear in the sequel.
Philips also posted an image of Joaquin Phoenix reading the script, which is clear confirmation that the actor will be returning to the lead role of Arthur Fleck (aka Joker). Nothing else is known about this sequel, although considering where the first movie ended it could start with a jailbreak as the last time we saw Fleck he was locked up in Arkham Asylum.
Philip’s Joker movie was a rousing success upon release in 2019 receiving critical acclaim, a slew of awards nominations and grossing more than $1 billion worldwide. The film is a standalone movie not set within the DC Extended Universe or any of the established Batman movie timelines, and tells the origins stories of the Caped Crusader's most iconic villain. Phoenix’s performance as Fleck, an isolated man driven to insanity by the corrupt society around him, was widely praised and even earned the actor an Oscar.
Originally envisioned as a one-and-done movie, Warner Bros. quickly moved to make a sequel happen in the wake of the first film’s success. While Philips and Phoenix originally seemed coy when quizzed on the possibility of a follow-up, it appears that a suitably exciting idea has been found and Joker 2 is now moving forward at pace. We don’t currently have any release details but don’t expect to see Arthur Fleck return until 2024 at the earliest.
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