Todd Philips sets record straight on Joker 2: "There’s not a contract for us to even write a sequel"

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The sequel roller coaster rumor has come to a temporary stop

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Just yesterday, news broke that director Todd Phillips was working on a Joker sequel at Warner Bros. The sequel's production was initially reported by The Hollywood Reporter, then other outlets attempted to clarify these claims, and by the end of the day the status of the Joker sequel was more "meh" than "yeah." Well, Todd Phillips himself has spoken to IndieWire to clarify that, as of right now, there is no Joker sequel in the works. But there could be.

“Here’s the real truth about a sequel,” Phillips told IndieWire. “While Joaquin and I have talked about it, and while touring the world with Warner Bros. executives — going to Toronto, and Venice, and other places — of course, we’re sitting at dinner and they’re saying, ‘So, have you thought about…?’ But, talking about contracts, there’s not a contract for us to even write a sequel, we’ve never approached Joaquin to be in a sequel. Will that happen? Again, I just think the article was anticipatory at best.”

GamesRadar+ reported on the initial newsbreak from The Hollywood Reporter and quickly updated our story two more times after Deadline and Variety weighed in, leaving the status of the movie in a very murky state. Deadline reported that Phillips had no deal for Joker 2, Variety reported that Phillips and Scott Silver had met with Warner Bros. and were in "very preliminary talks." But now we know, straight from Phillips, that there was no meeting, no deals in place, no script in development. 

So that's it, guys. There's no Joker sequel currently in the works, but there could be, and Joaquin and Philips have casually chatted about it with Warner Bros. executives. Case closed. Sort of.

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Alyssa Mercante
Alyssa Mercante
Former Features Writer

Alyssa Mercante used to be a features writer at GamesRadar+ and is now a freelance writer and editor. Prior to entering the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University with a dissertation focusing on contemporary indie games. She spends most of her time playing competitive shooters and in-depth RPGs and was recently on a PAX Panel about the best bars in video games. In her spare time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays soccer.