Todd Phillips has re-confirmed that no sequel to Joker is in the works, but says he thinks Warner Bros. is giving him time to think over how to approach one.

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Speaking to the IGN UK Podcast, Phillips was asked if, after the huge response to the now-debunked reports that a sequel had been confirmed , Warner Bros. had begun pushing for one:"Well there was [that push] even before Joker came out. A movie does that kind of business and became that beloved around the world – they had talked to us about it. Joaquin and I had spoken about it anyway as far back as when we were shooting the movie. But in all honesty we haven't gone any further on it. Even Warner Bros. hasn't. I think they're just giving us time, and if we can figure it out, and if Joaquin's down to do it, we would do it. But we haven't gotten near that yet."Phillips also made clear that he recognised a desire from some of the audience not to see a sequel: "I think some people really think we shouldn't, and I understand that as well. You know, you were saying that people's reaction to it is all positive. Some of it is, 'no, don't ruin it with a sequel' and I understand that too. It's interesting."Asked if there were other DC characters he'd be interested in taking on for a single-character film instead of Joker, he made clear that his interests still lie with Arthur Fleck: "I think there are [DC character studies I'd like to see] personally, but there's nothing that I've been drawn to, no."Phillips also touched more on his pitch for DC Black, a movie label he envisaged that would allow for "low-rent, low-budget movies, where you get a filmmaker to come in and do some deep dive into a character". Asked if it was a fully sketched-out idea, or more freeform, Phillips revealed he had an early slate of directors in mind: "No, it wasn't freeform. I pitched it as three movies, Joker being the first with me, and then these two other movies, with two other directors. But I don't really want to name them, because then it'll become a thing and I'm pulling these directors into it when I've never even told them about it. It was just me telling Warner Bros. about it."It's an idea Phillips is clearly still passionate about, and feels could still come to fruition (albeit without his proposed branding): "I still think it's a great idea. But I'll be honest with you, their argument - well, it wasn't an argument - their thing is, there's no reason to create its own label, there's no reason to go to all that trouble. Just when we want to one of these kind of movies, we'll do it, just like Joker is. I get that, but I also thought it was just kind of cool if it became a thing."IGN's full Todd Phillips interview - which covers everything from the film's divisive early reception, to how it depicts the sunniest Gotham ever put to film - will appear in this week's IGN UK Podcast, released on Friday, December 6.Phillips has previously talked about how any Joker sequel would have to be thematically resonant for him to want to make it. Warner Bros. probably ask for a little, less, given the film is now the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time , and on track to become the biggest DC movie yet