Todd Phillips reveals title for Joker sequel
Todd Phillips has confirmed a ‘Joker’ sequel is in the works with Joaquin Phoenix and revealed its title.
Todd Phillips has confirmed a ‘Joker’ sequel is in the works.
The 51-year-old director - who also made ‘The Hangover’ trilogy - made the announcement by sharing a black-and-white photograph of Joaquin Phoenix, 47, reading a script for the follow-up to their 2019 blockbuster.
The Instagram photo shows the Oscar-winning actor sitting with a cigarette on a couch, wearing pinstripe trousers, a black t-shirt and sunglasses, while he also shared a picture of the script's red cover with black lettering spelling out ‘Joker 2: Folie à Deux’.
The French phrase ‘Folie à deux’ translates as ‘shared madness’ and is used to describe a delusion shared by two people in close proximity.
Writer Scott Silver - who penned Eminem film ‘8 Mile’ - co-wrote the script alongside Phillips.
The first 'Joker' movie, released in 2019, was a box office and critical smash, grossing more than $1 billion on a budget of $55 million.
It was the first R-rated film to make over a billion dollars in ticket sales, going onto be nominated for 11 Academy Awards.
Dad-of-one Phoenix – who shares son River, one, with his actress wife Rooney Mara, 37 – won Best Actor for his portrayal of mentally disturbed Arthur Fleck, who evolves into the iconic Batman villain by the end of the story, while composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, 39, won the award for Best Original Score.
Phillips received huge acclaim for the movie, but the director previously claimed audiences overlooked one of the film's central themes.
He explained: "If I had to drill down on one overarching theme for me, it’s about the power of kindness and a lot of people miss that.
"I think if you don’t see that you either don’t have a soul or you’re being reductive to make up for your own struggles in that area.
"But, really, to me, that’s where it started from and there are other things in the movie like lack of love, the lack of empathy in society, and childhood trauma, but the power of kindness really runs through this film."
