Joker sequel in the works with Joaquin Phoenix expected to return

He used to think his life was a tragedy, but now he realizes ... it's a sequel.

A follow-up to 2019's Joker is officially in the works, director Todd Phillips has revealed. Phillips shared a photo of the script on Instagram, which shows it's titled Joker: Folie à deux. He also included a photo of star Joaquin Phoenix reading the screenplay, implying he'll return — though Deadline reports Phoenix hasn't quite finalized his deal just yet.

The original Joker, which told the origin story of the iconic Batman villain by way of Taxi Driver, was a surprisingly huge hit for DC. Despite being a dark character study, it grossed over $1 billion at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. It also won two Oscars, with Phoenix taking the Academy Award for Best Actor.

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There's no word yet on the plot of the Joker sequel. But the term folie à deux refers to an "identical or similar mental disorder affecting two or more individuals," according to the National Library of Medicine — leading some fans to speculate Harley Quinn, the Joker's love interest played by Margot Robbie in the DC universe, could be involved. But Joker takes place in a separate continuity than the rest of the current DC films, making an appearance by Robbie — or Robert Pattinson's Batman — unlikely.

The Joker sequel doesn't have a release date, so it's not yet clear when Warner Bros. will send in the clowns.