‘Joker 2’ officially happening, with script and title revealed

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Filmmaker Todd Phillips has officially confirmed that he has written a script for a sequel to 2019’s Joker.

Phillips shared an image of the film’s working title Joker: Folie à deux, which translates to “shared madness,” to his Instagram page along with an image of star Joaquin Phoenix reading the screenplay.

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Phillips’ Joker showcased the iconic Batman villain in a stand-alone character study that cast Phoenix as a street clown and failed stand-up comic who descends into madness amid life in an uncaring Gotham City. Set outside DC’s ongoing cinematic universe, the film was a worldwide hit, grossing over $1 billion at the box office and earned Phoenix an Academy Award for Best Actor.

While Phillips did not share any plot details on the story, which is co-written by Scott Silver, in a 2019 interview with the Toronto Sun he said he was drawn to the character because of “his representation of mayhem.”

But at the time he added that a sequel wasn’t a guarantee.

“This is a one-time movie. We’re not talking about sequels. We’re not tying it into anything. There’s no secret Easter egg thing setting up something else.”

He also revealed that his Joker would not face off down the line against Robert Pattinson, who played the Dark Knight earlier this year in The Batman.

“I’m not giving you a scoop when I say, ‘No, they won’t link up,’” he said. “This version of Joker exists in this movie.”

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