Todd Phillips’ Joker Seduced Audiences With a Single Line of Dialogue

Todd Phillips‘ acclaimed Joker was filled with moments and scenes that would become iconic online, but the director has revealed that he always knew the most seminal line in the movie would be a hit with fans. Starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular DC Comics villain, Phillips’ movie re-imagined the Clown Prince of Crime, shifting him away from a criminal mastermind out to thwart Batman, and examining the person underneath the make-up. Joker was a sensational hit, becoming the highest grossing R-rated movie of all-time (until it was dethroned by Deadpool & Wolverine) and won 2 Oscars, alongside a nomination for Best Picture.

Sitting down with Variety, Todd Phillips looked back at the most iconic lines from his movies. Many writers and directors will admit that they never quite know which scenes or lines fans will latch onto. However, during the conversation, Phillips said he knew that the beloved line “I used to think that my life was a tragedy, but now I realize it’s a f**king comedy,” was a hit from the moment he wrote it. He explained:

“Scott Silver and I wrote the Joker together, and Joker 2 — Joker: Folie à Deux. And I forget where this line came from, when in the process it came from. Sometimes you just know that’s going to be a seminal line, and that line really jumped out at us. And I remember Joaquin really liking that line too. Which means a lot because he never likes anything.”

Todd Phillips Wasn’t Done With Arthur Fleck After Joker

Joaquin Phoenix is set to make his return as Arthur Fleck/Joker in the upcoming sequel Joker: Folie à Deux. The end of Joker saw the titular character imprisoned in an unnamed mental asylum after murdering “Murrraayh” on live TV.

The first movie explored the lead-up to the moment that Arthur Fleck broke and began transforming into the Joker. Joker: Folie à Deux picks up two years after the first movie, as the angry citizens of Gotham City have embraced the name Joker and are still rioting across the city. During his incarceration, Arthur meets Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga), as Phillips looks to put his unique spin on one of DC Comics’ most iconic couples.

During the conversation, Todd Phillips revealed why he decided to make a sequel to his hit comic book movie. During the making of Joker, both Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix agreed that they weren’t done telling the character’s story on the big-screen. When production wrapped, the pair felt upset and frustrated, believing that they might not get to finish telling Arthur Fleck’s story. He explained:

“Joaquin and I, we had a really special time working on Joker, and we really did not feel like we were done with Arthur. I remember, most of the times when you finish a movie, you celebrate the fact that the movie is done. But I remember when we finished the first Joker, there was really a deep sadness, with me and Joaquin. We weren’t really ready to leave Arthur behind.”