It’s only been in theatres for a month, but we’re already waiting for a sequel to Joker.
Joaquin Phoenix has confirmed he’s begged Todd Phillips to write another outing for Arthur Fleck. Although following in the footsteps of Heath Ledger was never going to be easy, 2019’s Joker somehow managed to surpass all expectations.
With Phillips and Phoenix offering a very different take on the Clown Prince of Crime, Joker was a Batman movie without the Dark Knight himself. Phillip has always maintained it would be a single standalone outing for Phoenix’s sympathetic psycho, but all that could be about to change.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Phoenix opened up about the possibility of a Joker sequel:
“Long before the release or before we had any idea if it would be successful, we talked about sequels. In the second or third week of shooting, I was like, ‘Todd, can you start working on a sequel? There’s way too much to explore.’
He added, “It was kind of in jest — but not really”.
Talking about the movie’s production process and its separate reality away from the DC Extended Universe, Phoenix explained: “I guess the fear was that you’d get locked into doing something repeatedly that you don’t really care about, that doesn’t motivate you or excite you.
“Part of the whole attraction to me was there was no expectation. I didn’t sign a deal to do [more movies]. It was a one-off.”
Joker was praised for its careful handling of mental health and is already garnering some serious Oscar’s buzz. There were clearly a lot of serious issues behind the movie, which is exactly what Phillips intended to include. Speaking about the status of a sequel, the daring director admitted there needs to be a reason to continue the story of Fleck.
Phillips told the site: “We haven’t talked about [a sequel] a ton. We’ve only talked about the fact that if we ever did one — and I’m not saying we are because right now we’re not.
“It couldn’t just be this wild and crazy movie about the ‘Clown Prince of Crime.’ That just doesn’t interest us. It would have to have some thematic resonance in a similar way that this does.”
Even though there are plenty of unanswered questions when it comes to Joker‘s convoluted plot, it’s easy to share Phillips’ sentiments about not ruining a near-perfect piece of cinema. Whether Phoenix will put on a pair of baggy pants and oversized shoes again remains to be seen. but for now, Joker is still chuckling all the way to the bank.
Article originally via StudentProblems.
Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros.