As Joker continues to storm the box office and brew up controversy, chatter has already begun about a possible sequel.
Todd Phillips’ film, chronicling how the iconic Batman villain came to be, recently beat Venom’s domestic box office record for an October opening, raking in $96 million compared to the latter’s $80.25m. It’s also already amassed more than $258m worldwide.
Now Joaquin Phoenix, who plays the Clown Prince of Crime in the movie, is fueling the fire of a potential second instalment.
Check out the clip below:
In a new interview on Popcorn with Peter Travers, Phoenix discussed taking on the character and what the future could possibly hold for him in the role.
As heard on the show, Phoenix said:
I wouldn’t have thought of this as my dream role. But now, honestly, I can’t stop thinking about it. I talked to Todd a lot about what else we might be able to do, in general, just working together, but also specifically, if there’s something else we can do with Joker that might be interesting.
The Academy Award winner is a hot favourite as predictions for next year’s Oscars start to roll in – as it stands, he and Adam Driver (for Marriage Story) are the frontrunners for Best Leading Actor.
Check out the trailer for Joker below:
While Phillips has been frequenting headlines for his J.K. Rowling-esque commentary on Joker since its release, one thing has remained steadfast – his love of Phoenix.
In an interview with Total Film, Phillips said:
One thing I will tell you: I would do anything with [Phoenix], any day of the week. If he was willing to do [a sequel], and if people show up to this movie, and [Warner Bros.] came to us and said, ‘You know what? If you guys could think of something…’ Well, I have a feeling that he and I could think of something pretty cool.
It’s clear the film – an R-rated origin story of the caped crusader’s foe – has become somewhat of a cultural event, already climbing the IMDb rankings – it’s sitting at ninth on the website’s top 250 films of all time.
Whether it be the sharp violence, hard-hitting content or use of a Gary Glitter song in a prominent scene, people seem set to be discussing the movie right up until next year’s Academy Awards.
Check out the first trailer for Joker below:
It’s currently sitting at 68% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with the site’s critics’ consensus calling it ‘a chillingly plausible origin story that serves as a brilliant showcase for its star’.
UNILAD called it the film of the year – a terrifying, harrowing, volatile triumph of a movie.
Check out the full interview on Popcorn with Peter Travers below:
Joker is in cinemas now.
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After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.