Joker 2 - What we know so far (2023)

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VonMike Floorwalker/Updated: January 21, 2022 3:03 p.m. M. IT IS T

Written and directed by Todd PhillipsFool,with Joaquin Phoenix in the title role, became one of the biggest surprise hits of the decade at the end of 2019. Set in a different continuity (not to mention a different time period) to the other films in the DC Movie Universe, the film tells the story of failed comedian Arthur Fleck, an unstable loner brought to this by circumstances and his own battered psyche , to become Gotham's greatest. notorious criminal.

The list of film superlatives is long and growing.Foolscored thebiggest opening weekend in Octoberof all time it became the first R-rated film inbreak the billion dollar markat the worldwide box office and emerged as themost profitable comic film adaptationanyway, all within the first six weeks of release. It was also nominated for several Oscars, including Best Picture.

Phillips recorded that he became pregnantFoolas a standalone story, but as of November 2019,Der Hollywood-Reporterclaimed that Phillips and his co-writer Scott Silver were in talks to continue Fleck's story for a sequel, with Phoenix reprising his role, according to his sources. Shortly thereafterTHRpublished his reportDeadlineinterfered with his own assertion that gemesAccording to sources, there have been no talks of a potentialFoolContinuation. The outlet also claimed that the meetingTHRbetween Phillips and Warner Bros. Pictures Group President Toby Emmerich, in which Phillips is said to have revealed a whole series of dark films about DC Comics villains, never happened.

So what's really going on with a possiblyJoker 2, and how could Phillips, Silver and Phoenix continue Arthur's story? let's discuss

Kevin Invierno/Getty Images

It was an interesting and rare case where two trusted trade publications directly contradicted each other, and the conflicting reports forced Phillips to step in to resolve the matter. Speak withIndieWireIn November 2019, the director said that while the idea of ​​a sequel has certainly been mooted, there's still no deal and Phoenix has yet to be contacted about a return.

"Here's the real truth about a sequel," Phillips said. "When Joaquin and I were talking about it and when we were touring the world with Warner Bros. executives ... of course we sit down over dinner and they're like, 'So, have you thought about it? ...?' But speaking of contracts, there's no contract for us to write a sequel, we never approached Joaquin about starring in a sequel. will this happen Again, I just think [Hollywood-Reporter] article was anticipatory at best".

The director also clarified that his alleged meeting with Emmerich was misreported. While it managed to release a number of DC villain movies in the early stages,FoolClay had quickly shot down the idea.

"I can honestly tell you that [in October] there was never a meeting that I attended," the director explained. "When I threw themFool, it wasn't a movie, it was, let's do a complete seal. They closed that up quickly and I understand that. Who am I to go into a film studio and start a label? But they said let's do this."

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

It is worth noting that even after thatTHRjumps the gun, neither Phillips nor Phoenix shot down the ideaJoker 2. In fact, Phillips could have thrown a little more gas on the fire when asked about the idea at an industry event hosted byDeadlineend of 2019.

"Of course, when a movie makes a billion dollars and goes for $60 million, [the idea of ​​a sequel] comes up," Phillips said, laughing. "But Joaquin and I haven't really decided yet. we are open I mean, honestly, I'd love to work with him on anything. So who knows?”

Phillips hinted that he and PhoenixAgaindecide to revisit Arthur Fleck's world, but it won't be the potential for more box office cash that drives their decision. "[A sequel] would have to have a real thematic resonance, like this one did eventually, about childhood trauma and lack of love and loss of empathy," he explained. "All of those things really made this film work for us, so we needed to have something that had the same thematic resonance."

Warner Bros./DC-Filme

Even ifJoker 2If it were confirmed at this early stage tomorrow we'd have no idea who might round out the film's cast, but we're pretty confident there's no way Phoenix will be returning to continue plumbing the depths. out of Fleck's tortured mind, if it should happen. Phillips has repeatedly made it clear that there was no way he would consider a sequel if Phoenix, for whom he and Silver wrote the first film, weren't on board.

BTW, although in all likelihood we can consider Phoenix a castle ifJoker 2gets the green light, the only other piece of information about the potential casting that we can confidently record to report the concerns of those we know.I would not do itAlso in the film: Robert Pattinson. The talented young actor is set to play the main character in director Matt Reeves' upcoming movie.Batman,but Phillips has strongly implied that PattinsonBruce Wayneand Phoenix's Arthur Fleck exist in entirely different continuities.

When asked at the Toronto International Film Festival if it was possible that Pattinson's Dark Knight could appear in oneFoolContinuation,Phillips was clearjust say, "No, definitely not." That actually makes a lot of sense since asFoolFans know the film's relationship to DC lore is complicated.

Warner Bros./DC-Filme

Again, any attempt to analyze a potential's plotFoolContinuation at this point would be an exercise in pure conjecture. Of course we can offer at least a few guesses of the educated variety, but they mostly have to do with what the film isI would not do itapproximately.

First of all, as Phillips' comments at TIFF indicated, the film would in no way, shape or form be about itBatman.Yes, Bruce Wayne appeared in itFool– as a child of maybe ten years old, and since Phillips was aware that any sequel would simply continue to tell Arthur's story, it is likely that young Master Bruce is still at Bat High School during the events of a possible sequel. above.

We can infer from Phillip's determination to keep the focus squarely on Arthur that a sequel likely won't focus on bothOthersof Gotham's budding supervillains. However, there could be a small chance that aFoolThe sequel could pose a sly, cackling threat to Gotham, except for Arthur:therealJoker.

Follow us here: also from beforeFoolwas published,Fans have speculatedthat Arthur may not actually be the wild card we're all familiar with, but a sort of proto-wild card that serves as a formative influence on the actual deal. The theory is compelling on its own, but it has been given far more credence than was previously attributed when Phillips referred to itFoolThe amazing success of .

Phillips spontaneously raised the possibility in a wide rangeLos Angeles TimesInterview. "There are many ways to watch this film," said the director. "You could look at him and say, 'That's just one of his multiple choice stories. None of that happened'... A lot of people I showed it to said, 'Oh, I see, he just made up a story. The whole movie is a joke. That's what this guy in Arkham Asylum came up with. It might not even be the Joker... Maybe Joaquin's character inspired the Joker. You really don't know."

No we don't, but if you deign to give usJoker 2,Phillips, Silver and Phoenix have a chance to set the record straight for us. Could we maybe see the rise of the real Joker in a sequel? It's an intriguing possibility, but only time will tell.

Warner Bros./DC-Filme

Obviously we don't have a release date for yetJoker 2,as the parties involved have not yet started talks. We don't even have an idea of ​​when production on the film might begin, but it's fairly safe to say that Phillips and Silver would tend to take their time with the scriptFoolsequel to create the most compelling story possible. In fact, the writing process is probably one of the longest parts of a sequel's journey to the screen.

We say this because we considerplaceholderCritical acclaim and box office success give everyone involved a strong incentive to ensure the film gets a sequel worthy of it. Speeding up a second chapter on screen would be crazy; The first film's titanic fan base will still be there in two or three years, and even then the indelible mark it left on pop culture.Foolit is not likely that it has faded.

However, it was a slightly more streamlined process that led to thisFoolto the cinemas than is often the case with comic book films. The film was shot inabout 12 weeks,and the post-production was relatively quick too, as opposed to virtually every other comic book movie out thereno CGI partsto be added.

So that's the best we can guess, especially if the recent uproar prompts those involved to get to the negotiating table relatively soonJoker 2It could potentially be released in a similar framework in early October 2021. We will of course keep an eye out for official announcementsJoker 2, and as soon as we have it, we'll be knocking on your door with the news.