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.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
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.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.