Joker Sequel in the Works at Warner Bros.

No matter how standalone a movie may be, making a billion dollars at the box office is likely going to put a sequel on the fast track. Such is the case with Joker, which is the highest-grossing R-rated movie in box office history. Director Todd Phillips initially said that he had no intention of making a second Joker film, and the first movie doesn’t exactly set itself up for more. But things have changed thanks to the box office performance, and a Joker sequel is now on the way.

UPDATE #2: Todd Phillips Reveals the Status of Joker 2!

UPDATE: A Conflicting report Now Claims that Joker 2 is NOT Happening!

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. is moving forward with another Joker movie, bringing back Phillips as the director and co-writer. Scott Silver, who wrote the first Joker alongside Phillips, will return to pen the sequel and star Joaquin Phoenix is likely coming back as well.

Following the success of Joker, Phillips met with Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich and asked to develop an entire franchise based on the origin stories of DC villains. He reportedly asked for access to DC’s entire library of villains for the project, though he didn’t get it. Phillips was, however, given one or two characters to develop for solo movies. There’s no word yet as to which characters he’s going to be using for these projects.

Warner Bros. reportedly had options in place for Phoenix to return for a follow-up film, so the star will likely don his makeup once again. This isn’t the least bit surprising, considering his performance is the most universally-praised aspect of Joker. In fact, there has been enough buzz surrounding Phoenix’s role that he’s considered a strong contender for the best actor prize at this year’s Academy Awards.

Not only is Joker the fourth DC movie in history to cross the $1 billion threshold, but it’s by far the most profitable of the bunch. Unlike The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, and Aquaman, Joker only cost about $60 million to produce, making its box office haul even more impressive.

Do you think Joker needs a sequel? Will you watch it when it arrives? Let us know in the comments!