Director Todd Phillips insists he won’t be making Joker 3, and that Joker: Folie A Deux will bring his take on the story to an end.
Director Todd Phillips is back on the promotional trail, as the release date looms for his high-profile sequel, Joker: Folie A Deux. The sequel to the billion dollar, Oscar-winning Joker movie brings Joaquin Phoenix back to the title role, joined this time by Lady Gaga as well.
Phillips sprung to profile off the back of his comedy work, with movies such as The Hangover trilogy and Road Trip. The jump to Joker was a surprise, but there’s little denying it paid off. Still, in a new conversation with Variety, Phillips has been suggesting that those looking for a Joker 3 are likely to be disappointed.
“It was fun to play in this sort of sandbox for two movies, but I think we’ve said what we wanted to say in this world”, he told the outlet. And with Joaquin Phoenix’s involvement likely to be tied to that of Todd Phillips, there’s a sporting chance that the Joker saga in its current form will be calling time at two films.
Instead, Phillips says he wants to head back to his comedy roots for whatever he brings to the screen next.
“I think people really want comedies right now. The trailer for Joker 2 sort of sums things up when it says ‘what the world needs now is love.’ But I would go farther: We could use a good laugh too”. I felt the same after watching The Hangover Part III, to be fair.
Phillips, ahead of the release of Joker, you might recall was one of the first filmmakers to wheel out the word ‘woke’, stating “go try to be funny nowadays with this woke culture”. More on that here.
Joker: Folie A Deux is set to debut shortly at the Venice Film Festival, ahead of its wide release around the world on 4th October 2024.
