After years existing mostly as rumor about developments, Ridley Scott’s long-gestating sequel to 2000’s epic ‘Gladiator’ is turning into a truly exciting prospect because of the cast the director has been building.
There is no word yet on who Washington will be playing in the new film, but the picky performer apparently had his interested piqued by the script, which features a reportedly “bad-ass” role for the actor. A follow-up meeting with Scott helped convince him further, and Washington is now locking in the final details of his deal to co-star alongside Paul Mescal and other recent new recruit Barry Keoghan.
Russell Crowe in ‘Gladiator’ (Photo by Karine Weinberger/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
How does the new movie follow ‘Gladiator’?
While Maximus isn’t likely to show up –– short of CG-enhanced flashbacks since the character died in the original and went to a lush heavenly zone to reunite with his slaughtered family –– the story for the new movie, written by David Scarpa, follows Mescal as Lucius.
He, you may recall, was the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and the nephew of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), the son of Roman leader Marcus Aurelius who murdered his father and seized the throne. Commodus wound up in the gladiator ring with Maximus who, though mortally wounded, skewered the emperor before fading into the great. Maximus saved the Lucius and Lucilla while avenging his own family and left a strong impression on the young boy.
Quite what Lucius is up to in the new film remains to be seen, but there’s a chance he’ll be ending up in the arena himself, especially since Mescal has reportedly been training for the role.
Keoghan, meanwhile, is apparently playing the primary antagonist, Roman Emperor Geta (a fictional take on a real-life ruler). We can certainly see Keoghan as a Commodus-style troublemaker.
This is real progress for Scott, who is looking to work with both fresh talent and experienced performers (and behind the scenes, he’s recruited the original movie’s costume designer Janty Yates and production designer Arthur Max).
Both Mescal and Keoghan scored Oscar nominations this past year, Mescal for his nuanced take on a father in ‘Aftersun’, and Keoghan for his funny, sweet role in ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’.
Scott will need the top talent available, since ‘Gladiator’ is quite the classic to follow up. The first movie earned more than $460 million at the worldwide box office (back in the year 2000, don’t forget) and was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, winning five including Best Actor for Russell Crowe and Best Picture.
It also has a big following, with plenty of fans wondering what shape a sequel might take. We’ll find out on November 22nd, 2024, when it hits theaters.
(Right) Russell Crowe in director Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator.’
Joaquin Phoenix in 2019’s ‘Joker’ courtesy of Warner Bros.
As the cameras continue to whir on ‘Joker’ sequel ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’, we’re getting another look at the movie––and this time, things are going a little Gaga.
Lady Gaga, to be exact, as the singer and actress is playing a mysterious new role opposite Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck, who in the first movie adopted the persona of Joker when society rejected his stand-up attempts and he turned to causing chaos.
Co-writer/director Todd Phillips offered a new photo from the film, this time featuring Gaga and Phoenix in a tender moment, which seems fitting, since it was posted on Valentine’s Day.
There has been plenty of chatter––which this image will do nothing to dispel––that Gaga is playing Harley Quinn, famously in Batman lore the psychologist at Arkham Asylum who falls for the Joker, and then is thrown by her lover into a chemical vat so she can look more like him.
Gaga looks normal here, which makes sense since Phoenix’s Fleck doesn’t have the chemical origin story of his character, he just uses make-up to achieve his look, which is in evidence in the picture.
Co-writer Scott Silver and Phillips have been hard at work on drafts of the script, and the movie’s title translates to the term for a mental disorder that affects more than one person. And that’s definitely a good way to describe the viral chaos that Arthur Fleck began scattering around Gotham in the original.
How closely the new movie will hew to established DC lore is unknown at this point – we’d honestly put money on Phillips continuing to chart his own path, picking and choosing how Fleck’s story intersects with the wider Bat-world. And from the sounds of everything we’ve heard so far, this represents the filmmakers branching out from the 1970s crime vibe of the original.
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Who else is in the film?
Alongside Gaga and Phoenix, the sequel will see the return of Zazie Beetz as Sophie Drummond––Arthur’s neighbor, who he fantasized a romance with in the first movie.
Witten by Todd Phillips and Scott Silver, directed by Todd Phillips, the action, crime, drama, musical, thriller ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ is scheduled for release from DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures on October 4th 2024.
(Right) Russell Crowe in director Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator.’
Ridley Scott is hoping you’ll be entertained all over again, as he’s now fully gearing up to make the sequel to 2000 epic ‘Gladiator’.
It has been a long (Roman) road to a sequel, with chatter about it popping up from time to time through the years and mentions of scripts having been bashed out.
The movie is much closer to happening now, with a current draft of the screenplay by David Scarpa, who previously wrote ‘All the Money in the World’ for the director.
Scott, who seems to become more prolific as he ages, has most recently been working on a movie about ‘Napoleon,’ starring Joaquin Phoenix, has decided that the time and the script is right to revisit the world of ‘Gladiator’, and Irish actor Paul Mescal is reportedly his choice for the lead role.
The original, as you may well know, starred Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius, a successful general in the Roman army who was betrayed by incoming Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) when the military man refused to swear allegiance to Commodus.
Exiled, his family murdered, he ended up a gladiator, rising through the ranks in the area until he was able to confront Commodus himself. But––and spoiler alert for a nearly 23-year-old film––while he was able to kill the sneering Emperor, it came at the cost of his own life. Which means that Crowe won’t be showing up in the sequel unless he’s become some sort of advisory ghost.
Paul Mescal from an exclusive interview with Moviefone for A24’s ‘God’s Creatures.’
According to Deadline, Mescal is now top choice to play Lucius, the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), who now is a grown man as the story takes place years after the first film ended. Lucius was also the nephew of Commodus (Phoenix), the son of Roman leader Marcus Aurelius ( who murdered his father seized the throne and wound up in the gladiator ring with Maximus — who, though mortally wounded, skewered the emperor before fading into the great beyond to reunite with his slain wife and son. Maximus saved the boy and his mother while avenging his own family and left a strong impression on the young Lucius.
Mescal feels like a fine choice to play the grown Lucius, having shown the dramatic chops to carry a role such as this and the muscular physique the role might demand.
And though he hasn’t gravitated towards big studio projects––since ‘Normal People’ sent his star rising, he’s also appeared in the likes of indie drama ‘God’s Creatures’––working with Scott is something few actors would turn down.
Deadline’s report also includes mention that the actor had a great meeting with Scott about the role and though he was one of the first considered, he’s stuck in the director’s mind and a deal is now being hammered out for him to star.
Scott will reunite with the first film’s costume designer, Janty Yates and production designer Arthur Max. And while Universal and DreamWorks were behind the first film, Paramount is backing this one––though Universal has an option to jump aboard if the studio chooses.
Paul Mescal as Brian O’Hara in A24’s ‘God’s Creatures.’
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(L to R) Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell star in Martin McDonagh’s ‘In Bruges,’ a Focus Features release.
There is a lot we still don’t know about ‘Joker’ sequel ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’, but the cast is clearly coming together for Todd Phillips’ latest movie.
Gleeson joins Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga and Zazie Beetz in the movie, which is looking to incorporate more of a musical element this time around (how that will present in the film is, like everything else, still unknown for now).
Phoenix, of course, is returning as Arthur Fleck, the wannabe comedian-turned-chaos merchant who caused such havoc in Gotham city, spreading murder and mayhem, and who ended up locked away in Arkham Asylum.
Beetz is reprising her role as Sophie Dumond, the single mother and object of Arthur’s affections, even if it turned out to be a fantasy in his head.
As for Gaga, her character has yet to be officially revealed, though there is plenty of chatter at her playing iconic Joker character Harley Quinn, his psychiatrist at Arkham who falls in love with him and becomes his sidekick and partner in crime.
DC Comics’ Harley Quinn.
Likewise, Let the speculation commence for how Gleeson might fit into Phillips’ grungy Gotham world. Could he be Commissioner Gordon? Or might he be on the other side of the law, playing a prisoner-patient of Arkham and one of Batman’s rogue’s gallery? Or something new entirely? The possibilities are almost endless…
Co-writer Scott Silver and Phillips have been hard at work on drafts of the script, and the movie’s current working title is ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ which translates to the term for a mental disorder that affects more than one person. And that’s definitely a good way to describe the viral chaos that Arthur Fleck began scattering around Gotham in the original.
How closely the new movie will hew to established DC lore is unknown at this point – we’d honestly put money on Phillips continuing to chart his own path, picking and choosing how Fleck’s story intersects with the wider Bat-world. And from the sounds of everything we’ve heard so far, this represents the filmmakers branching out from the 1970s crime vibe of the original.
Gleeson is probably still best known for his appearances in several ‘Harry Potter’ movies, though he’s also made a name for himself in the indie world, working on the likes of ‘In Bruges’ and ‘Calvary’.
(L to R) Zazie Beetz and Joaquin Phoenix in 2019’s ‘Joker.’
With an official release date now on the books, the details for the ‘Joker’ sequel are starting to fall into place.
And one of the best parts of the original movie seems set to return, as Zazie Beetz is in talks to reprise the role of Sophie Dumond in ‘Joker: Folie à Deux.’
When we meet her in Todd Phillips’ 2018 film, Sophie is a struggling single mother who lives in the same grungy Gotham City apartment block as Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) and his mom. The pair share a whirlwind romance but – spoiler alert for those who haven’t seen the original movie – it turns out that the relationship was all in Arthur’s head.
Regardless, we’re not sure that Sophie is really going to want to strike up a connection with an unstable man who sows chaos throughout Gotham City. And given that Lady Gaga is now aboard the sequel, playing someone who develops a close link to Arthur, that situation could be even more complicated.
Gaga recently posted a teaser video confirming her casting in the sequel, and while it offered no real clues, speculation is rampant that’s she’ll be playing at least some version of Harley Quinn, the psychotherapist-turned-psychopathic girlfriend of the Joker.
Harley, of course, exists across different stories in the DC Universe, between the current animated anarchist voiced by Kaley Cuoco and Margot Robbie’s movie version. Given that Phillips’ film is unconnected to the larger DCEU movie world, so he has free rein to create his own – if that’s what he’s truly doing.
(L to R) Joaquin Phoenix and Zazie Beetz in 2019’s ‘Joker.’
Of course, there’s every chance that the writer/director will surprise us, as he found new things to say about Arthur and his Joker personality.
Phillips had previously teased the new movie’s title by posting the cover for the script he wrote with ‘Joker’s Scott Silver. And the cameras should be cranking this December. No one knows what the plot is exactly yet, though Folie à Deux’ is a French reference for a medical term pertaining to a mental disorder which affects two or more people.
The other big element we’re promised for the sequel is a musical one, which is perhaps partly explains Gaga’s presence.
Beetz told The Hollywood Reporter that she firmly approves of the idea. “I actually think it makes wonderful sense. I wasn’t really surprised by that. Todd [Phillips] has always had a creative approach to the character. I love musicals, and I think of them as the characters are feeling and experiencing so much that they can only sing and dance about it, whether in sorrow or in joy,” she says.
“And I can actually see that within myself as well because singing and dancing is quite a cathartic experience for me. I was going through a really, really difficult time at one point in my life, and I just started dancing and crying by myself,” Beetz continues. “And that was an expression that matched where I was at that moment. And so I can see Arthur, who is feeling and experiencing so much, dancing and singing about it. He’s the Joker, so I think it makes sense to me.”
‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ is scheduled for theaters on October 4th, 2024.
Zazie Beetz in 2019’s ‘Joker.’
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That has now moved into the “official” column, as Gaga has taken to social media with a teaser video confirming her casting.
Set to an instrumental version of the Irving Berlin-written ‘Cheek to Cheek’ (a song that Gaga herself has performed a lot, often with Tony Bennett), the video shows silhouette versions of Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck and Gaga’s so far unknown character (though there is speculation on that – see further down the page) and unites them in a virtual version of a shadow puppet dance.
Featuring the actors’ names in bold and then confirming the title as ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’, the twitter tease also mentions the release date for the film.
As discovered yesterday, the new ‘Joker’ film will head to theaters on October 4th, 2024 – five years to the day since the original. The studio will naturally be hoping for similar success at the box office and awards season.
Phillips had previously teased the new movie’s title by posting the cover for the script he wrote with ‘Joker’s Scott Silver. And the cameras should be cranking this December. No one knows what the plot is exactly yet, though Folie à Deux’ is a French reference for a medical term pertaining to a mental disorder which affects two or more people.
And this latest teaser also seems to point to more of a musical angle to the movie (which makes sense given Gaga’s casting).
Gaga, of course, is a big star these days, with an Oscar on her mantel and plenty of acclaim for ‘A Star is Born’ in particular (it’s perhaps little coincidence that Phillips co-produced that Bradley Cooper-directed movie).
And, if she does end up making a deal to appear, word is she’ll be playing iconic Joker character Harley Quinn, his psychiatrist at the mental institution known as Arkham Asylum who falls in love with him and becomes his sidekick and partner in crime.
This being Phillips’ own world, not connected to the DC Extended Universe, any potential Gaga Harley would be different from Margot Robbie’s Quinn, who has so far appeared in two ‘Suicide Squad’ movies and her own spin-off, ‘Birds of Prey’.
And it’s not like ‘Joker’ eschewed other Batman characters completely: we got a smattering of them in Phillips’ vision of Gotham, including a young Bruce Wayne and a corrupt version of his father, Thomas.
So while those eagerly anticipating more of Phoenix’s make-up-sporting troublemaker will have to wait a couple of years to see the next installment, at least we know that the movie is officially on its way.
(L to R) Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in 2018’s ‘A Star Is Born.’
After co-writer/director Todd Phillips offered an update about the status of the sequel to 2018 hit ‘Joker’ last week, the latest developments to emerge about the movie are quite the follow-up.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, not only is Lady Gaga now in early talks to co-star, but the movie is shaping up to be a musical, or at least carry a solid musical element. As if people weren’t paying attention to the sequel already, that’s certainly something to make them.
Gaga, of course, is a big star these days, with an Oscar on her mantel and plenty of acclaim for ‘A Star is Born’ in particular (it’s perhaps little coincidence that Phillips co-produced that Bradley Cooper-directed movie).
And, if she does end up making a deal to appear, word is she’ll be playing iconic Joker character Harley Quinn, his psychiatrist at the mental institution known as Arkham Asylum who falls in love with him and becomes his sidekick and partner in crime.
This being Phillips’ own world, not connected to the DC Extended Universe, any potential Gaga Harley would be different from Margot Robbie’s Quinn, who has so far appeared in two ‘Suicide Squad’ movies and her own spin-off, ‘Birds of Prey’.
And it’s not like ‘Joker’ eschewed other Batman characters completely: we got a smattering of them in Phillips’ vision of Gotham, including a young Bruce Wayne and a corrupt version of his father, Thomas.
Joaquin Phoenix in 2019’s ‘Joker’ courtesy of Warner Bros.
The musical element is harder to pin down, but it certainly makes Gaga’s casting resonate even further. While the first ‘Joker’ movie certainly had music in it (and one iconic scene featuring Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck dancing), the idea that the sequel will be a full-blown, tune-filled affair is an intriguing one.
If you were looking to sidestep the usual cries of sequel fatigue, that’s certainly one way to go about it! Right now, it’s all up the air as Gaga still has to lock in her deal, while Phoenix is also in the midst of figuring out the financials for his return to the lead.
Co-writer Scott Silver and Phillips have been hard at work on drafts of the script, and the movie’s current working title is ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ which translates to the term for a mental disorder that affects more than one person. And that’s definitely a good way to describe the viral chaos that Arthur Fleck began spreading around Gotham in the original.
How closely the new movie will hew to established DC lore is unknown at this point – we’d honestly put money on Phillips continuing to chart his own path, picking and choosing how Fleck’s story intersects with the wider Bat-world.
The ‘Joker’ sequel doesn’t have a confirmed release date yet, but there’s a chance it could be ready for screens next year. And will it be a full-blown musical? Lady Gaga might have scored a trophy for “Shallow”, but it’s Arthur Fleck who is off the deep end.
It has been a few months since we heard anything new about the ‘Joker’ sequel that co-writer/director Todd Phillips has been busy scripting.
But from the looks of Phillips’ latest Instagram post, things are moving smoothly along, with the script reaching its latest draft and, according to the other image on the post, star Joaquin Phoenix reading it.
There’s also that title: ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ which in case your high school French isn’t up to the task, translates to the term for a mental disorder that affects more than one person.
No story details were offered up, but that highbrow title could refer to the pervasive influence of Arthur Fleck’s (Phoenix) actions in the first film. His brand of chaos certainly appeared to be spreading in Gotham. Phillips’ film was a dark, gritty, take on the Clown Prince of Crime, much more in the mood of a Martin Scorsese crime film than you usual superhero outing. It told the story of Fleck, a man struggling to find his way in Gotham’s fractured society.
A clown-for-hire by day, he aspires to be a stand-up comic at night… But finds the joke always seems to be on him. Caught in a cyclical existence between apathy and cruelty, Arthur makes one bad decision that brings about a chain reaction of escalating events.
According to Deadline, Phoenix liked what he saw enough to kick off negotiations to return as Fleck, as while he had a sequel clause in his contract for the original, he has enough clout that Warners will need to stump up a hefty pay rise to make sure he returns for sure.
News of further developments will be good news for Warner Bros. Discovery and DC, which saw the first ‘Joker’ go on to gross more than $1 billion at the box office and pick up 11 Oscar nominations, winning two – for Phoenix as Best Actor and Original Score for composer Hildur Guðnadóttir.
Naturally, the companies would like a follow-up now that Phillips has the story he wants to tell. From the looks of this, we could see the movie start filming this year.
And Phillips’ involvement with the DC Movies structure as a whole could be changing since incoming Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav has apparently asked him to consider serving as an advisor for the DC movie universe going forward. Unlike Kevin Feige, who runs Marvel Studios for Disney, overseeing their movies and TV shows, Phillips would strictly work on a non-executive level.
Also, unlike Feige, Phillips doesn’t have an encyclopedic knowledge of the comic books, so if he does take the job, chances are he might be paired with someone boasting that sort of experience, while he’ll handle filmmaking choices. Whether that comes about, of course, remains to be seen, though for now he’ll be focused on figuring out this one movie.
But this is certainly not the first time an A-list actor has portrayed themself in a film, and we thought it would be a good time to look back at the the greatest movies featuring actors playing themselves.
For this list, we are only including actors who’ve portrayed themselves in a movie and not athletes, musicians, or other celebrities.
A movie about the apocalypse set in Hollywood was a clever idea, but having the actors play exaggerated versions of themselves is what makes this movie really fun to watch, and Jonah Hill being possessed by a demon is a definite highlight.
Danny Ocean (George Clooney) reunites with his old flame (Julia Roberts) and the rest of his merry band of thieves in carrying out three huge heists in Rome, Paris and Amsterdam – but a Europol agent (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is hot on their heels.
One of the “cons” in the movie that Ocean and his friends are running is based on the idea that Tess Ocean (Roberts) looks remarkably like the actress “Julia Roberts.” Posing as Roberts, Tess helps Linus (Matt Damon) get close to their mark but are interrupted by the actor Bruce Willis (played by Willis), who is friends with the real Roberts.
Paul Giamatti (played by Paul Giamatti) is agonizing over his interpretation of ‘Uncle Vanya’ and, paralyzed by anxiety, stumbles upon a solution via a New Yorker article about a high-tech company promising to alleviate suffering by extracting souls. He enlists their services—only to discover that his soul is the shape and size of a chickpea.
Giamatti plays himself as a depressed yet “serious” thespian, which plays off of the actor’s real-life persona, while Emily Watson portrays Paul’s fictional wife, Claire Giamatti.
Reunited after 15 years, famous chef Sasha (Ali Wong) and hometown musician Marcus (Randall Park) feel the old sparks of attraction but struggle to adapt to each other’s worlds.
After years apart, Sasha and Marcus reconnect, only to go on a double date with their significant others. The date goes terribly wrong for Marcus when he realizes that Sasha is dating movie star Keanu Reeves (played by Reeves). The actor plays himself with all the coolness and charisma we expect from Reeves, before eventually getting into a brawl with Marcus.
Nerdy accountant Harold (John Cho) and his irrepressible friend, Kumar (Kal Penn), get stoned watching television and find themselves utterly bewitched by a commercial for White Castle. Convinced there must be one nearby, the two set out on a late-night odyssey that takes them deep into New Jersey. Somehow, the boys manage to run afoul of rednecks, cops and even a car-stealing Neil Patrick Harris (played by Harris) before getting anywhere near their beloved sliders.
Harris spoofs his own history as a child actor, playing himself as a drug-addicted, has-been child star. It’s also worth noting that ‘Harold & Kumar’ predates ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ and marked the beginning of Harris’ own career resurgence.
B-movie Legend Bruce Campbell (played by Campbell) is mistaken for his character Ash from ‘The Evil Dead‘ trilogy and forced to fight a real monster in a small town in Oregon.
Campbell basically plays himself like his ‘Evil Dead’ character Ash. He’s confident and self-assured when there is no danger, but once trouble begins, he becomes a complete coward. The movie was directed by Campbell, and is a fun spoof on the actor’s own cult status.
Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has made a habit of running from what scares him. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) doesn’t have fears. If he did, he’d kick their ever-living ass. In a world overrun by zombies, these two are perfectly evolved survivors. But now, they’re about to stare down the most terrifying prospect of all: each other.
When Columbus and his friends enter a Beverly Hills mansion, they meet actor Bill Murray (played by Murray), who survived the zombie apocalypse by wearing makeup and pretending to be a zombie himself. The actor even busts-out his old ‘Ghostbusters‘ costume before Columbus accidentally kills him.
‘I’m Still Here’ is a portrayal of a tumultuous year in the life of actor Joaquin Phoenix (played by Phoenix). Directed by Casey Affleck, the film follows the future Oscar-winner as he announces his retirement from a successful film career in the fall of 2008 and sets off to reinvent himself as a hip-hop musician. The film is a portrait of an artist at a crossroads and explores notions of courage and creative reinvention, as well as the ramifications of a life spent in the public eye.
Sold as a documentary, it was later revealed that the entire movie was a fictional spoof. Unknown which it was at the time of release, Phoenix gives a performance playing an exaggerated version of himself that is so believable the entire world really thought that the actor had gone crazy! It all culminated with his infamous appearance on ‘The Late Show with David Letterman,’ which is included in the film.
Directed by Robert Altman, a Hollywood studio executive (Tim Robbins) is being sent death threats by a writer whose script he rejected – but which one?
‘The Player’ could easily have been called ‘Cameo: The Movie.’ While some actors play fictional characters (like Robbins and Whoopi Goldberg), because of the Hollywood setting, dozens of famous actors play themselves in cameo roles like Joel Grey, Anjelica Huston, and John Cusack.
Then, in a film within the film, Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts play themselves, playing fictional characters.
One day at work, unsuccessful puppeteer Craig (John Cusack) finds a portal into the head of actor John Malkovich (played by Malkovich). The portal soon becomes a passion for anybody who enters its mad and controlling world of overtaking another human body.
‘Being John Malkovich’ is ‘The Godfather‘ of movies featuring actors playing themselves. Malkovich brilliantly plays-off of his odd and mysterious off-screen persona and gives a dark comedic performance as good as any of his previous dramatic work. it’s also hilarious when it is revealed that his best friend is Charlie Sheen (played by Sheen himself).
Joaquin Phoenix in 2019’s ‘Joker’ courtesy of Warner Bros.
Todd Phillips’ 2019 DC movie ‘Joker’ was a huge success. Not only did it make more than $1 billion at the global box office, but it was nominated for 11 Oscars, winning two, including Best Actor for star Joaquin Phoenix.
It’s hardly surprising, then, that studio Warner Bros. let slip to The Hollywood Reporter that a sequel is in development, with Phillips returning and Phoenix back as the main character.
According to Heroic Hollywood’s sources, Phillips has handed in the sequel’s first draft screenplay to the studio and the new movie should be shooting in 2023. We’d caution that this is more rumor than anything else just yet, since Warner Bros. has yet to officially announce this forward movement. But then, studios aren’t in the habit of revealing their movies until everything is signed and sealed.
As it’s at such an early stage, there are no details about the story for the new movie.
Though Phillips’ original movie seemed like a longshot (and indeed, the studio had to be convinced that it was the right way to go with the character), it certainly paid off in both profit and awards (along with its Oscars, it took home a variety of other trophies).
The story of that first film, in case you need a refresher, offered a new spin on Batman’s most famous arch nemesis – one in which the Caped Crusader doesn’t actually appear beyond a small cameo from a young Bruce Wayne, played by Dante Pereira-Olson.
Joaquin Phoenix in 2019’s ‘Joker’ courtesy of Warner Bros.
Unlike Zack Snyder’s use of Jared Leto for ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’, this Joker exists outside of the DC Extended Universe of movies, which means that other comic book characters such as Superman and Wonder Woman are unlikely to ever face him. That said, Warner Bros’ expanding use of the multiverse to crossover between characters means that nothing is off the table in future.
‘Joker’ was a dark and gritty movie more in the style of a Martin Scorsese crime film than even Christopher Nolan’s vision for Batman. It’s the story of Arthur Fleck, a man struggling to find his way in Gotham’s fractured society.
A clown-for-hire by day, he aspires to be a stand-up comic at night… But finds the joke always seems to be on him. Caught in a cyclical existence between apathy and cruelty, Arthur makes one bad decision that brings about a chain reaction of escalating events.
‘The Hangover’s Phillips wrote the movie’s script with ‘8 Mile’s Scott Silver, and from the looks of the new report, they’ve reunited for the sequel.
Phoenix always came across as less likely to come back, but Warner Bros. cannily included a standard sequel option in his contract, so assuming the movie goes ahead, he’ll be back in the make-up next year ready to be Arthur Fleck once again.
