A 'Joker' sequel in the works with more DC origin films

Don't say you didn't ask for it


Entertainment Desk November 21, 2019

The year's most popular film, Joker's director is likely to team up with Joaquin Phoenix again, for a follow-up to the $1 billion-grossing R-rated hit, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

On October 7, Joker director Todd Phillips met the Warner Bros Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich, buoyed by the film's $96.2 million opening-weekend haul. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that he proposed a far fetched idea — the rights to develop a portfolio of DC characters' origin stories.

Emmerich hesitated, since Warner Bros is very protective of DC's storylines and characters. Furthermore, all other DC deals have been for one film, and one film only. But Phillips did emerge from the meeting with the rights to at least one other DC story, sources say. And now that Joker has crossed the $1 billion mark, a sequel is on the way.

Meanwhile, the movie is continuously making money around the world as Phillips talks about reprising his role as director for a second Joker outing (he and Scott Silver, who penned the gritty Joker screenplay, will write the follow-up).

Warners has sequel options in place for Joker star Joaquin Phoenix, who has emerged as a strong contender in the Oscar best actor race. Joker marks the fourth DC title to cross $1 billion, following in the footsteps of 2018's Aquaman ($1.15 billion), 2012's The Dark Knight Rises ($1.08 billion) and 2008's The Dark Knight ($1 billion).

However, its $60 million budget is far less than the previous films, so it is almost assured of generating profits of more than $500 million.

The unexpected bounty is also generating a huge payday for Phillips, 48. Sources say the director will earn close to $100 million when the dust has settled (he deferred his upfront salary in exchange for a bigger slice of the adjusted gross). In fact, the deal is similar to one he struck with Warners before the first Hangover movie, which went on to earn a surprise $467.5 million worldwide in 2009 off a $35 million budget (the trilogy took in $1.42 billion).

With Joker, Phillips already toyed with the idea of Bruce Wayne's origins (a letter written by the mother of Arthur Fleck, aka Joker, implies that the two are half-brothers. But Penny Fleck might not have been telling the truth, given the Fleck family propensity to imagine things that haven't taken place).

Still, sources say he won't be exploring Batman's backstory and that task is already in the hands of writer-director Matt Reeves. Since he is working on The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson, coming to theaters in June 25, 2021.

Nevertheless, as far as the DC villain origin story that could be mined next, Phillips would be well suited for either Darkseid, a tyrannical ruler who is worshiped by some as the god of evil, or Metropolis' power-mad one-percenter, Lex Luthor.

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