Last May, we heard that Joker director Todd Phillips was co-writing a potential Joker sequel, something that came as a bit of a surprise since nobody involved had given any indication that they were planning to make more Joker movies. The first film, of course, is one of the most shocking and dangerous comic book movies ever made, one that dared to rip apart the very fabric of our society by investigating the twisted mind of a man who reacts to wanton violence with a smile. It was also a little silly and very self-serious. But hey, that bit with him standing on top of a car in the middle of a riot and painting a smile on his face with blood is something that the Joker would do. That was well done!
Today, Phillips took to Instagram to offer the first real confirmation that a Joker sequel is in the cards (joker cards), sharing an image of the cover of the script he co-wrote with Scott Silver and a photo of Joaquin Phoenix (who won an Oscar for the first one) reading the script with a serious look on his face (via Variety). The script cover also has an intriguing clue about its contents, listing the title as Joker: Folie À Deux.
That’s apparently a working title and not the official one, but it seems fair to try and read into it a bit, so let’s do that: Merriam-Webster defines “folie à deux” as “the presence of the same or similar delusional ideas in two persons closely associated with one another.” So… that means Harley Quinn, right? Some kind of gritty, vaguely Martin Scorsese-inspired version of Harley Quinn? Instead of saying “AHM HARLEY QUINN, MISTAH JAY” in an undefinable accent, she’ll say “I’m Harley Quinn, Mister Joker” in a serious tone?
Or maybe it’ll be about a second Joker? Or a nod to the interpretation that the first movie was about a Joker and not the Joker, with his brand of clown-themed madness spreading to other people in Gotham City and eventually creating the Joker who fights Batman? The Joker sequel still hasn’t been officially announced by Warner Bros., so it might be a while before we hear anything anyway.
