It was recently reported that Warner Bros. was moving forward with a Joker sequel. This report came from The Hollywood Reporter, which referenced a meeting between director Todd Phillips and Warner Bros. on Oct. 7. It seemed to be a natural move for the studio, considering the current film's success. However, Shortly afterwards, a different report was published by Deadline, citing an inside source, that there was no such project.
Phillips himself recently provided some clarity regarding the matter, making it clear that there are still no plans for a sequel to Joker. Speaking to Indiewire, he stated, "I can honestly say to you there was no meeting that ever happened on October 7 where I marched in... If you know me and my career, that's not my style." He then recounted his longstanding relationship with Warner Bros. and discussed his tendency to refrain from continuously producing film after film, even after successes such as The Hangover trilogy, "I didn't suddenly become a comedy factory producer, like, oh, let's just churn out movies."
The director then said, "Here's the real truth about a sequel," and explained that while there has been clear interest from studio executives, neither he nor actor Joaquin Phoenix have any solid plans for one as of yet, "There's not a contract for us to even write a sequel, we've never approached Joaquin to be in a sequel."
Audiences have been anticipating a sequel since the film's release in October. Joker recently earned more than $1 billion worldwide, displacing Deadpool as the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, which would fuel any studio's desire for a sequel film. But while both Phillips and Phoenix have expressed an interest in producing one, they also indicated that it was not the financial success of Joker that would motivate them, but the opportunity to create something as deep and resonant as the current film.
Directed by Todd Phillips, Joker stars Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Bill Camp, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Douglas Hodge, Marc Maron, Josh Pais and Shea Whigham. The film is now in theaters.