Joker Director Todd Phillips Will Reportedly Earn Close to $100 Million for Film

Joker director Todd Phillips is getting a hefty payday for his work on the DC Comics film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, sources say the 48-year-old Phillips will earn near $100 million for Joker. This comes from Phillips passing on his upfront payment in order to take a larger portion fo the film's adjusted gross. It's a deal similar to the one he had with Warner Bros. for the first Hangover movie. That film made $467.5 million on a $35 million budget in 2009. Two sequels followed, turning the series into a $1.42 billion box office film franchise.

Joker has made more than $1 billion on its own, becoming the first R-rated film to achieve that level of box office success. It should come as no surprise then that Warner Bros is bringing Phillips back for a sequel to Joker. There may also be plans for Phillips to oversee additional DC villain origin story films.

Joker is a grounded, R-rated origin story for Batman's archnemesis, the Joker. Joaquin Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, who descends into madness and emerges as the clown-faced killer known as the Joker. The film also stars Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Bill Camp, Shea Whigham, and Marc Maron.

The film proved polarizing with critics. ComicBook.com's Brandon Davis called it a masterpiece is his 5-star review, writing, "Whether or not Joker is a social commentary on issues such as poverty or mental illness, a new and mysterious take on the best known DC Comics villain, or just another unforgettable piece of cinema which producer Martin Scorsese is attached to, you'll need to see to believe it and, even then, you still might not believe it."

How do you feel about the box office success of Joker? What do you think of Todd Phillips receiving a $100 million for the film? What other DC villains would you like to see get the Joker treatment? Let us know what you think about it in the comments. Joker is now playing in theaters.

Upcoming DC Films movies include Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) on February 7, 2020, Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5, 2020, The Batman on June 25, 2021, The Suicide Squad on August 6, 2021, and Aquaman 2 on December 16, 2022.

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