00:03Laugh all you want, but a sequel to The Joker could be well on its way.
00:07Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Joker director Todd Phillips went to Warner
00:11Bros. in hopes of acquiring the rights to develop a portfolio of DC character origin
00:16stories, but instead reportedly walked out with the rights to a sequel of the infamous
00:20Batman villain. With Joker having crossed the $1 billion mark, it's easy to see why a
00:25sequel could be the next logical step. THR has learned that Phillips is in talks to
00:29reprise his role as director for the second outing with him and Scott Silver, who penned
00:33the first gritty Joker screenplay, writing the follow-up. Warner Bros. supposedly also has
00:38sequel options in place for the film's star Joaquin Phoenix, who's also been eyed as a
00:42strong contender in the Oscar Best Actor race. Joker marks the fourth DC title to cross
00:47$1 billion, following in the footsteps of 2018's Aquaman with $1.15 billion, 2012's
00:53The Dark Knight Rises with $1.08 billion and 2008's The Dark Knight with $1 billion.
01:00But the kicker here is that Joker's $60 million budget is far less than those previous
01:04films, so it's almost assured to generate profits of more than $500 million. So again,
01:10when all is said and done, a sequel seems like pretty much a no-brainer. As for the origins
01:14of the Caped Crusader, don't bank on that anytime soon. While Phillips already toyed with the idea of
01:19Bruce Wayne's origins in this film, he won't be exploring Batman's backstory. That task
01:24is already in the hands of writer-director Matt Reeves, who's The Batman, starring
01:28Robert Pattinson, is coming to theaters June 25th, 2021.
01:31Alright guys, for more updates to this story, head to THR.com and until next time,
01:36for The Hollywood Reporter News, I'm Neha Joy.
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