Joker 2 starts filming with Joaquin Phoenix in 2023, says report

Joker 2 is reportedly in development with filming for the DC project expected to take place in 2023, according to a new report. This will see Joaquin Phoenix return as the Clown Prince of Crime and Todd Phillips step into the directing chair once again. 

A source who claims to have insider knowledge on the Joker sequel (via Heroic Hollywood) stated that filming will commence once Phoenix's schedule frees up in 2023. Additionally, it's believed that the first draft of the script has already been received by Warner Bros. No details of the plot or timeframe for release were shared.

Joker opened theatrically in October 2019 before going on to make over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. It was the sixth-highest grossing film of 2019. The movie was nominated for Best Picture at the 92nd Academy Awards and Phoenix won the Best Actor award on the night. Since then, speculation has been rife that Warner Bros. has been looking for a way to make a sequel happen with the actor. 

While this isn't a major outlet reporting on the news, the site does have a somewhat reasonable track record, giving it some credibility. The first report of substance that Joker 2 was in the works surfaced in May last year, courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter. It was noted during an article on Hollywood's top 100 lawyers (of all places) that Todd Phillips had "struck a deal to co-write the next Joker installment". 

During an interview with The Playlist in October 2021, Phoenix commented on the possibility of a sequel, saying: "From when we were shooting, we started to – you know, this is an interesting guy. There are some things we could do with this guy and [explore] further. But as to whether we actually will? I don’t know 

No details were shared about the story, so it's completely up for speculation as to where the narrative will head after the conclusion of the first film. Could we see Arthur Fleck's descent into madness continue and bridge the gap between Joaquin Phoenix's Joker and the more traditional psychopath from the comics, for instance? 

Potentially we will hear more after the premiere of The Batman in March. Matt Reeve's flick is heavily rumoured to feature a cut of its own Joker, though this is not expected to be the same Joker as the one played by Phoenix. We actually got a brief glimpse of what appears to be the Joker in the Japanese trailer for The Batman, with Barry Keoghan reportedly being cast as the comicbook villain. 

The Batman will premiere in theatres worldwide on March 3rd, 2022, starring Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Jayme Lawson, Andy Serkis and Colin Farrell.