Who says jokes can’t be made on Valentine’s Day? The sequel Joker: Folie à Deux’s first look at Lady Gaga was unveiled by director Todd Phillips on Instagram. Although the specifics of her part are currently unknown, all indications seem to lead to the multi-hyphenate playing the legendary Comic character Harley Quinn. On October 4, 2024, the Joker sequel is scheduled for release.
In the picture, which features Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck/comeback, Joker’s Gaga is joined by Phoenix. He’s dressed entirely as a deranged clown and appears content to be in her character’s arms. There are currently no confirmed plot details.
Nonetheless, this picture seems to fit with Harley Quinn’s beginnings as the Joker’s doctor in Arkham Asylum, the sequel’s rumoured setting. In the infamous Gotham facility, Arthur was left to have his way in the Joker’s finale.
This is Phillips’ second look at the Joker sequel after he provided a sneak peek of Fleck’s recent shaving to signal the beginning of production a few months ago. Folie à Deux will undoubtedly be a musical, which is a sharp contrast to the mood and atmosphere of the original movie.
This sequel may benefit from a fresh approach, and Lady Gaga is unquestionably talented in both acting and music. It’s all too simple to picture a loving exchange between Harley and the Joker upsetting Arkham and its prisoners.
Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin), Catherine Keener (Being John Malkovich), Jacob Lofland (Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials), and Harry Lawtey will appear alongside Gaga in the sequel (Industry). The only other actor (besides Phoenix) who has been confirmed to return in the character of Sophie, Arthur’s “romantic interest,” is Atlanta’s, Zazie Beetz. Scott Silver and Phillips, who previously served as both a director and a screenwriter, are both back. Hildur Gunadóttir, who received an Academy Award for her work on the first movie, is also coming back.
Like with Matt Reeves’ Batman efforts, Folie à Deux will be set in DC’s recently revealed Elseworlds timeline. After Margot Robbie in both Suicide Squad movies, Gaga will play Quinn as the second live-action actress. The future of the clown princess of crime is now unknown, according to DC Studios co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Around $1 billion was made by Joker in 2019, making it a huge commercial success. More conflicting reviews were received by the critics. Although the tone and acting garnered high marks from critics, its portrayal of mental illness received less favourable reviews. The movie got an impressive number of nominations for Academy Awards, garnering eleven in total.
Phoenix’s performance earned him his first Academy Award, and Phillips received a nomination for Best Director.
On October 4, 2024, Folie à Deux is slated for release, making it five years to the day after the debut of the first film. Keep checking Collider for more information on this sequel. Listen to Gleeson discuss why he couldn’t resist working with Phillips on this Joker sequel in the audio player below.
