2019 Joker director Todd Phillips has confirmed that he is working on a sequel to the film.

On his Instagram* page, he posted a cover photo of the script for Part 2, tentatively titled Joker: Folie a Deux.

The director also posted a picture of Joaquin Phoenix reading the script, which means the actor will return to the role of Arthur Fleck.

The script was written by Phillips himself in collaboration with Scott Silver - the creative duo also worked on the first part of the film.

Plot details have yet to be revealed, but in 2019, Phillips and Silver met with ex-Warner Bros studio head Toby Emmerich to discuss possible ideas for a sequel to the villainous clown drama.

The director then noted that he was not going to make "just a wild and crazy film about the Clown Prince of Crime."

According to him, the film will have to have a certain thematic resonance, like the first picture, which stirred up the audience.

“I think in the end, that’s exactly what the movie was about — what happens on a deep level.

So many films are about spark, but this one is about gunpowder.

It would be interesting if we were able to really repeat this, ”said the director.

In the first hours after publication, Phillips' post received more than 200 thousand likes.

Site users were delighted with the news - they rejoice at the return of Arthur Fleck and write that they cannot wait for the premiere.

Movie stars and other representatives of show business also react to the post - they express delight, and also hint at a desire to take part in the project.

So, actor Simon Rex boldly asked for a small role.

“I studied the script and found the cameo you wrote for me.

Thanks dude.

Let's see if I can make time, ”the artist writes.

Actor and producer Dan Finnerty was also asked to join the project.

Many of Phillips' followers took note of the film's intriguing title.

Some have suggested that it hints at a reference to Harley Quinn, a supervillain in the DC Comics universe who is in love with the Joker. 

“Folie à deux (“Madness for Two”) is a rare delusional disorder shared by two people, most often relatives or (others. -

RT

) people with close emotional ties,” explains one user. 

  • © Shot from the film "Joker" (2019)

The action of Todd Phillips' first film about the Joker takes place in the early 1980s in Gotham City, absorbed by the social crisis.

The protagonist Arthur Fleck seeks to find his place in society.

During the day he works as a clown, and at night he tries to build a career as a stand-up comedian.

One day, Fleck gets involved in a fight with three men and kills them.

It soon turns out that they were all managers of a large corporation.

Random conflict leads to a whole series of unexpected events.

The story presented on the screen was invented specifically for the Phillips film, it does not intersect with the plots of past projects in which the Joker appears.

According to the director, in his film, he sought to tell the story of the origin of the villain and hoped to show a character that the audience will sympathize with, no matter what.

The film had its world premiere on August 31, 2019 at the Venice Film Festival.

The tape made a splash and was awarded the main award of the review - the Golden Lion.

Critics primarily praised Joaquin Phoenix's performance, noting that "there is not a single false note in his portrayal of the relentless nature of Arthur's despair".

However, not all experts were delighted with the picture.

Some did not like the abundance of obvious references to such classic films as "Taxi Driver", "Raging Bull" and "King of Comedy".

Some criticized the plot for its lack of a clear structure.

In addition, a number of critics spoke about the many scenes of violence - according to reviewers, they can provoke viewers to such acts.

The first "Joker" was presented at a number of major film festivals and won the "Oscar" in the nominations "Best Actor" and "Best Soundtrack".

In early October 2019, the film was released in wide release, the audience accepted it warmly - to date, the audience rating on the Rotten Tomatoes portal is 88%.

The tape has grossed over $1.074 billion worldwide.

* Meta product, activity recognized as extremist, banned in Russia by decision of the Tverskoy Court of Moscow dated 03/21/2022.