Todd Phillips Shoots Down Those 'Joker' Spinoff Rumors

In the ongoing saga that is what is happening with the Joker sequel and the future of the DC on the big screen, Todd Phillips has released a statement denying a previous report that he met at WB in October to tackle a new slate of similar films. 

THR reported this Wednesday and said Phillips had an October 7 meeting with Toby Emmerich, head of production, and asked for the rights to make more villain origin stories. But it turns out THR may have jumped the gun or have been downright wrong.

In an interview with IndieWire, Phillips said: “I can honestly say to you there was no meeting that ever happened on October 7 where I marched in... First of all, if you know me and my career, that’s not my style. I made a huge comedy at Warner Bros., ‘The Hangover,’ and I didn’t suddenly become a comedy factory producer, like, oh, let’s just churn out movies. Bradley [Cooper] and I have a production company at Warners. I’ve been at Warners for 15, 16 years. We have two things in development at all times, not 40 things like some people. I’m not the kind of guy who goes marching in saying I want these 40 titles. I just don’t have the energy.”

So how did this story happen? Well, Phillips did pitch WB on doing a series of character-focused comic book films before he became attached to Joker. 

Per Phillips, “When I pitched them ‘Joker,’ it wasn’t a movie, it was, let’s do a whole label...T hey shut that down quickly and I get it. Who am I to walk in and start a label at a film studio? But they said, 'let’s do this one.'”

So what about the hotly anticipated Joker sequel we have heard about? Phillips said there is no script or story development on it at this time. He did not deny it was happening, but he wasn't enthusiastic about it, either. 

“Well, a movie doesn’t make a billion dollars and they don’t talk about a sequel... Joaquin and I have publicly said we’ve been talking about a sequel since week two of shooting because it’s a fun thing to talk about. But the [THR] article was referring to other things than that that were just frankly untrue. I don’t know how it gets started, if it’s some assistant trying to gain street cred with a writer.”

Yikes. 

In the same denial, Phillips went on to say, “Here’s the real truth about a sequel: While Joaquin and I have talked about it, and while touring the world with Warner Bros executives — going to Toronto, and Venice, and other places — of course, we’re sitting at dinner and they’re saying, ‘So, have you thought about…?’ But, talking about contracts, there’s not a contract for us to even write a sequel, we’ve never approached Joaquin to be in a sequel. Will that happen? Again, I just think the article was anticipatory at best.”

Well, the anticipation is high with fans, who have pushed the movie over a billion dollars at the box office. 

While a sequel feels like good business, we'll have to wait and see what Phillips has in store. Only time will tell...