- Joker 2 director Todd Phillips has shared a first look at Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix as Harley Quinn and the Joker in the upcoming film.
- The film is reportedly a musical thriller and will see the beginning of the twisted relationship between the two iconic comic villains.
- A release date has been set for October 2024.
It is a bit of an understatement to say we were surprised when it was announced that the sequel to the 2019 psychological thriller Joker would be a musical, starring Lady Gaga as the romantic interest to Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck
Gaga confirmed she would star beside Phoenix last year in a tweet, as well as giving confirmation on a release date: 4th October 2024.
The setup takes place after the first film, with the Joker now in Arkham Asylum, meeting psychiatrist Harleen Quinzel (heavily implied to be Gaga) and will see the exploration of that burgeoning relationship told through an R-rated lens by director Todd Phillips. Gaga previously acted in a particularly violent season of American Horror Story, so darker imagery and themes are definitely in her wheelhouse.
On Valentine’s Day, Phillips saw fit to nonchalantly show the world a first look at the two iconic characters in the upcoming film:
Quinzel, of course, is famously corrupted by the Joker and the two go on a murderous crime spree, owing to the name of the film Joker: Folie à Deux.
“Folie à Deux” is French for “madness by two”, now known as shared delusional disorder. A rare collection of psychiatric symptoms in which two individuals begin sharing delusional beliefs and sometimes even hallucinations.
No other plot points have yet to be revealed, nor is there any information about the musical aspects of the film. It has been noted that the film will remain a psychological thriller in some way. The first film used music and dance to interpret Arthur’s fall into his psychosis and no doubt that theme will also be carried over somewhat.
Apart from Gaga and Phoenix, Zazie Beetz will reprise her role as Sophie Dumond. Additionally, veteran actor Brendan Gleeson, as well as Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland and Harry Lawtey have all joined the cast for the Joker sequel.
The last time the “romance” between the two villains was portrayed on the big screen was by Margot Robbie and Morbius himself Jared Leto in the critically panned Suicide Squad (2016). Hopefully, Phillips, Gaga and Phoenix can do the characters justice in Joker 2.
[Image – Todd Phillips on Instagram]
