“Joker 2” — the potential sequel to the 2019 hit film “Joker,” starring Joaquin Phoenix — has reportedly hit a delay in production, signaling potential strife for the new film.
Details: Multiple reports suggest that work on the “Joker 2” script has been slowed down, per The Direct. The reason remains unclear.
- But, as ComicBook.com notes, Phillips — who is writing the film — has not turned in a draft for the sequel.
- “With filming rumored to start as soon as early 2023, the current reported delay may not have much of an impact at all film production — but that could change if the delay goes on too long,” ComicBook.com reports.
Flashback: There was some confusion back in 2019 about a potential sequel. Unnamed sources told The Hollywood Reporter that there would be a sequel, while Deadline called these reports “flat false,” adding that “no deals for a sequel” had been made.
- In 2021, it was reported that Warner Bros. still has plans for a “Joker” sequel.
- The film surpassed $1 billion at the box office, reaching numbers that only “Aquaman,” “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises” had achieved before its release.
Yes, but: A “Joker” sequel isn’t exactly necessary, especially due to the controversy surrounding the first project.
- The original film told a tight story about mental health, abuse and emotional trauma, all of which are important topics to explore.
- However, the film focused on violence and was released in the wake of national tragedies at the time, like shootings in Gilroy, California, El Paso and Odessa, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.
My take: “There is no easy way to tell the story of the Joker and avoid its motivating backstory — a character who has bathed in mass violence and hysteria since his inception. He isn’t one to play by the rules. He isn’t one to teach moral values. There is never a good time, nor a bad time, to release a ‘Joker’ film,” I wrote at the time of the original film’s debut. “His darkness, his thirst for chaos, corruption and craze, are too much to handle. And the film, which will tell his origin story from a realistic and grounded point of view, could inspire violence.”