Background information
Joker: is it possible to feel compassion for serial killers?
by Luca Fontana
"The Joker 2": Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix could do it again
21.11.2019
Translation: machine translated
Rumour has it that there is to be a sequel to The Joker. Director Todd Phillips and lead actor Joaquin Phoenix could be back in action. However, it seems that the project has not yet been finalised.
It was to be expected, there should be a sequel to "The Joker", according to renowned US trade publication The Hollywood Reporter, which is based on undisclosed sources.
Todd Phillips could be set to direct and write the screenplay with Scott Silver. The actor who plays the Joker, Joaquin Phoenix, could return to action. As for the content, that remains a question mark. According to sources, the director would like to obtain rights for other characters from the DC Comics universe.
So far, Warner Bros. and Todd Phillips have not spoken. But an official announcement is expected to follow shortly.
A sequel with a hesitant lead actor
Warning: if you haven't seen "The Joker" yet, you'd better catch up before you read on!
That a sequel is planned is an open secret. And for good reason, we know that this controversial comic book film - Rated R in the US, minors must be accompanied by an adult - has grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide.
However, it is surprising that a sequel is considered difficult, especially at a time when sequels are the rhythm of the box office. This hesitancy is probably down to lead actor Joaquin Phoenix. In a interview with the Los Angeles Times, Joaquin Phoenix revealed that he had turned down numerous offers for comic book adaptations precisely because he didn't want to be a cog in an endless machine.
I don't want to be trapped in a straitjacket anymore and do something that no longer motivates me. Just because the first film was a success doesn't mean I should consider making a sequel. That would simply be ridiculous.
What convinced him to accept the lead role in "The Joker" was more the appeal of a film devoted to character study rather than adaptation.re rather than the film adaptation as such; this is somewhat at odds with the idea of the Marvel and Disney universes.
Part of the appeal of « Joker» is that there were no expectations behind it. There was no market for multiple films. It was just this one time.
That said, Joaquin Phoenix has never completely ruled out the idea of a sequel. In the same interview, the lead actor and director clarify that they felt, after a few weeks of shooting, that they hadn't told the whole Arthur Fleck story, with the ending of "The Joker" left relatively open.
Batman in the Joker universe?
According to what Joaquin Phoenix said during an interview, the sequel would only be possible if it was part of a clear artistic vision focusing on the character of Arthur Fleck aka the Joker. Also in this interview for the Los Angeles Times, the director agrees.
The sequel should have a similar thematic resonance to « Joker». That's what fascinates a lot of people, what lies beneath the surface in short. There are so many films that only deal with the subject superficially, but this one gets to the bottom of it. If that could be the case again, then the sequel has a chance of being interesting.
What next for "The Joker 2"?
At the end of the first instalment, Arthur Fleck becomes the masked figurehead of the anti-establishment movement in Gotham. Indeed, after being taken away by the police following the killing he has perpetrated, he is freed by angry demonstrators: Arthur, aka The Joker, thus becomes the centre of attention and gains fame. Martha and Thomas Wayne are murdered in a dark, deserted alleyway on the fringes of the riots. Bruce Wayne survives.
But for Batman to now find himself in the "Joker" sequel as the central actor remains unlikely, especially as Matt Reeves, the director of "Planet of the Apes 2 and 3", is already working on his own version of the Dark Knight. Warner Bros. will not consent to this type of interference.
The sequel could thus trace Arthur's rise to super villain, starting with his escape from the psychiatric hospital, to which he is admitted at the end of the first instalment. Perhaps he'll get some help to escape? From Sophie (Zazie Beetz), for example, who, according to "Joker" cameraman Lawrence Sher, was not killed by Arthur. What's less likely is that he gets help from Harley Quinn, who is currently busy filming in another movie.
However, we shouldn't expect a big gangster story à la Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Night". "The Joker" is and remains a character study that wants to dispense with a big budget.
I have no desire to make a completely bonkers film about the « crime clown». There are already some in every possible form.
Interestingly, Phillips wants to probe other DC characters in addition to the Joker sequel. Indeed, he has reportedly asked Warner Bros. for permission to adapt original stories about Lex Luthor, the mastermind of Metropolis, or Darkseid, the supervillain belonging to the DC Comics universe. According to some well-informed sources at The Hollywood Reporter, only The Joker sequel has been given the green light.
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Luca Fontana
Senior Editor
Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.chI'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.»
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