Why so serious? “Joker 2” could be coming to put a smile on your face.
Resurrecting the twisted tale of the grinning green-haired supervillain, the director of the original “Joker,” Todd Phillips, is set to co-write the Academy Award-winning film’s “next installment,” according to an apparent slip of the tongue his lawyer Warren Dern made within a lengthy Hollywood Reporter industry report.
Hipster movie blog Screen Rant called out Dern’s info leak — and now fans are making the apparent leak go viral with a vengeance.
And even though Warner Bros. hasn’t officially confirmed the project, some die-hard fans of the 2019 psychological DC Comics thriller aren’t thrilled about rumors of the forthcoming follow-up flick.
“All I’ll add to the Joker 2 discourse is that it’s a hard pass from me. y’all enjoy it, but I’m out. and no amount of praise will sway me,” one ticked-off fan griped. “I already fell for that trip once! but, please understand, I’m so happy for everyone who wanted this! it’s just…exhausting.”
“I loved Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of the Joker and I don’t think a part 2 is necessary,” another naysayer said, agreeing with tweets that the DC Extended Universe bad guy’s saga should end with Phoenix’s Oscar-worthy performance.
Offering comic book buffs a never-before-seen peek into the troubled life of Arthur Fleck in the original movie, Phoenix, 46, took audiences on a wild journey through the mind of an ostracized Gotham City comedian-turned-homicidal arch-nemesis of Bruce Wayne — better known as Batman.
The R-rated film — which earned Phillips, 50, a Best Motion Picture of the Year nod at the 2020 Oscars — grossed an unprecedented $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
Whispers of a continuation have circulated since its debut.
But Phillips swiftly shut down scuttlebutt that a sequel was underway back in 2019.
At the time, the director told IndieWire that he and Phoenix had discussed doing a Part 2 of “Joker,” but hadn’t written up any contracts to that end.
But if more of the painted-up prince of crime’s story should happen to unfold in the form of a second feature film, DC fans have a few creative ideas about which way the movie should move.
“I hope Joker 2 is another origin story for a new, different joker. just a universe where everyone becomes the joker independently and start stepping on each other’s toes,” one digital DC devotee said.
“I hope Joker 2 connects to Pattinson’s Batman in some way,” another zealot wrote, referring to Robert Pattinson’s upcoming portrayal of Bruce Wayne in Matt Reeves’ 2022 release “The Batman.”
So far, Warner Bros. has not announced an official release date for “Joker 2.”