Joaquin Phoenix to return in his Oscar-Winning role for two 'Joker' sequels?

Released in 2019, Joker became one of the most talked-about films of the year. It stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck / Joker. The movie which provided a possible origin story of the infamous DC villain was said to be an only project. But after its tremendous success, the makers are now planning to make two more films with Phoenix reprising his Oscar-winning role.

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Joaquin Phoenix to return as Joker for two projects?

According to a recent report by British tabloid The Mirror, Joaquin Phoenix might return as Joker in the coming future. The actor could land a whopping $50 million offer to reprise the crown prince of crime in two projects. Phoenix initially felt Joker was a standalone movie, but he has changed his tune now, a source told the tabloid. He wants to play the character again, despite the controversies that came with the release last year. The source stated that the deal is still being negotiated but the scripts are being penned down and Joaquin Phoenix is very engaged with it.

It is reported that Warner Bros. Pictures was “as shocked as anyone” with the success of Joker in 2019. Now they are planning to make two sequels in the next four years, with a long-term commitment to Joaquin Phoenix and his Joker director Todd Phillips along with producer Bradley Cooper. It is said to be about getting the Oscar-Winning star to accept the terms and it could result in the biggest pay cheque of his career by far.

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Joker was a standalone film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). It gained attention from the time when a glimpse of Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character was revealed. At the 76th Venice International Film Festival, it won the Golden Lion and caught the eyes of the audiences ahead of its October release. When it hit the theatres, the movie received great responses and reached the $1 billion mark at the global box office, becoming the only R-rated film to do so, as of today.

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Joker cast also includes Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen and others. Set in 1981’s Gotham city, it shows Arthur Fleck who is a failed stand-up comedian. The plot unfurls as he gets to know more about himself and learns about society, which makes him go insane. His nihilism inspires violent, counter-cult revolution against the city.

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Joker won multiple awards at several events. It was nominated in 11 categories at the 92nd Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The movie won Joaquin Phoenix his first and only Oscar award for Best Actor, as of today. He was previously nominated in the same category two times; In 2006 for Walk the Line and in 2013 for The Master.