Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Joker’ Sequel Eyeing 2023 Start Date (Exclusive)

Joker 2 is one step closer to becoming a reality.

Joaquin Phoenix Joker David Fincher Todd Philips

We finally have an update on when the Joaquin Phoenix-led Joker sequel will begin filming.

The Todd Phillips-helmed Joker film made some pretty big waves in 2019, earning more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office and two Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Original Score. Joker‘s critical reception was also filled with controversy, with some labeling it a dangerous film due to its depiction of mental illness, but just like every other comic book project there was definitely an audience and that was reflected in its success. 

All eyes were pointed towards what would follow in the newly-minted, live-action version of the DC Black Label and it seemed like a Joker sequel was bound to happen, launching a new wave of low-budget comic book movies. Back in November 2019, The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported that Joker 2 was officially in the works at Warner Brothers, with Phoenix and Phillips returning. Since then there hasn’t been any updates on the sequel, but we have some good news for you, including when the project will begin shooting.

According to an insider with knowledge on the Joker sequel, Warner Bros. has officially received the first draft of its script and the film will begin shooting sometime in 2023. Plot details are being kept in a cell at Arkham Asylum.

The Joker hasn’t shown up on the big screen since the Joaquin Phoenix film, but he has made a number of smaller-scale appearances, namely with Jared Leto reprising his role as the Clown Prince of Crime in Zack Snyder’s Justice League cut. The character is heavily rumored to make an appearance in Robert Pattinson’s The Batman, so is safe to say that Joker hype isn’t dying down anytime soon.

Here is the official synopsis for Joker:

Director Todd Phillips’ “Joker” centers around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone fictional story not seen before on the big screen. Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck, who is indelibly portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, is of a man struggling to find his way in Gotham’s fractured society. A clown-for-hire by day, he aspires to be a stand-up comic at night…but finds the joke always seems to be on him. Caught in a cyclical existence between apathy and cruelty, Arthur makes one bad decision that brings about a chain reaction of escalating events in this gritty character study.

Directed by Todd Phillips from a script he co-wrote with Scott Silver, the film stars Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Bill Camp, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Douglas Hodge, Marc Maron, Josh Pais, and Shea Whigham.

Joker is available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital. Stay tuned for all the latest news on the potential sequel, Willem Dafoe, and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.

Nathaniel Brail

Nathaniel Brail

Running things at HH. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @NateBrail