Joaquin Phoenix Is In Talks To Reprise His Role In ‘Joker’ Sequels For A Whopping $50M
The man won a freaking Oscar for his performance in Joker, of course he is being offered a massive $50 million deal for the hit film’s sequels. If you’re wondering; I’m talking about Joaquin Phoenix and that’s Rs 367 crores. The Academy Award winning actor who unarguably changed the game with his portrayal of the comic-book villain is reportedly in talks with Warner Bros for not one but two films. Although the studio was initially shocked on the film’s humongous success, they want to bet it all on the probable franchise. And if things fall in place, Phoenix will leave the room with the biggest pay cheque, reports The Mirror.
It is also being said that the Hollywood star will reunite with director Todd Phillips and producer Bradley Cooper who worked together in the 2019 film that not only garnered rave reviews but also minted big money. The publication even quoted a source saying, “It’s still being negotiated but the scripts are being written and Joaquin is very engaged with it. They plan to make two sequels in the next four years, with a long-term commitment to Joaquin and his Joker director Todd Phillips and producer Bradley Cooper. It’s all about getting Joaquin to accept the terms – and the biggest payday of his career by far.”
“Joaquin initially felt Joker was a standalone movie. But he’s changed his tune now. He says he wants to play this character again, despite the controversies that came with the release last year,” the insider added. And honestly, we don’t blame him. In fact, it is hard to believe that any other actor can match the method that Phoenix brought to Arthur Fleck’s madness.
If anything, the star had toyed with the idea of another installment earlier. In an interview, he had even told the Los Angeles Times, “Long before the release or before we had any idea if it would be successful, we talked about sequels. In the second or third week of shooting, I was like, ‘Todd, can you start working on a sequel? There’s way too much to explore.’ It was kind of in jest — but not really.”
Reports also suggest that the makers are eyeing to hit the marquee by 2022 and 2024 respectively and now all we have to wait for is Joaquin Phoenix’s go. He had apparently waited till the last moment to say yes to the first but here’s hoping he grabs the offer and soon!