'Joker' Sequel Or No 'Joker' Sequel... What Did Todd Phillips Do Or Didn't Do?

Did the director Todd Phillips do it or not do it?

The Hollywood Reporter is exclusively reporting that 'Joker' director Todd Phillips walked into the Warner Bros. studios and sat down for talks about reprising his role as director for a second Joker film. Phillips would co-write the second film with the first Joker screenplay writer Scott Silver. THR is also claiming that sources have informed them that Phillips wants the rights to develop a portfolio of DC characters' origin stories.

Even Warner Bros. wouldn't have to think twice since 'Joker' marks the fourth DC title to cross the $1 billion dollar mark and has sequel options in Joker star Joaquin Phoenix, who has emerged as a strong contender in the Oscar best actor race.

Sounds too good to be true?

That's what Deadline is saying by shooting down the story from THR.

Deadline is reporting: "multiple inside sources said that while a sequel to the billion-dollar-grossing film is an obvious likely eventuality that makes all the financial sense in the world, at this point there are no deals for a sequel, nor even any negotiations with director Todd Phillips or his co-writer Scott Silver to craft one."

Multiple sources are telling Deadline that THR falsely reported that Phillips met with Warner Bros film chief Toby Emmerich to pitch a portfolio of DC character origin stories. The truth is that Martin Scorsese contemplated directing the first Joker but later dropped out and Phillips never had an October meeting with Warner Bros. about doing additional movie follow-ups with other DC character films.

No comments have been made by Todd Phillips as of this reporting.