On the fourth anniversary of the debut of Joker , director Todd Phillips took a new look at the sequel. Joker: Folie a Deux will debut in cinemas in exactly one year!
Joker has become one of the most unexpected surprises of the comic book movie world, with his brutal reinvention of the DC villain grossing over $1 billion at the global box office. The film’s sequel, Joker: Folie a Deux , wrapped production earlier this year and is expected to dive into the dynamic between Arthur Fleck/Joker (Joaquin Phoenix) and Harley Quinn ( Lady Gaga ). At the moment , Joker: Folie a Deux is scheduled to debut in cinemas next year – the exact release date is currently scheduled for October 4, 2024. Todd Phillips, who directed and co-created the film, marked the occasion – as well as the four-year anniversary of the first Joker’s debut – with a new behind-the-scenes photo.
The photo, which shows Phoenix standing in the rain, is captioned:
October 4. Thanks for all your messages. We had quite a ride four years ago. Many great memories. More coming soon.
What is Joker 2 about?
Joker: Folie a Deux will be a musical that follows the twisted romance between Arthur Fleck/Joker and Harley Quinn, with many of the films reportedly taking place at Arkham Asylum. The film also stars Zazie Beetz, Brendon Gleeson, Catherine Keener and Jacob Lofland.
I think this makes wonderful sense. I wasn’t surprised that Todd always had a creative approach to characters. I love musicals and think of them as characters who feel and experience so much that they can only sing and dance about it, whether in sadness or joy. I also see it in myself, because singing and dancing are a cathartic experience for me. At one point in my life, I was going through a very, very difficult time and I just started dancing and crying by myself. And it was a phrase that fit where I was at that moment. I see Arthur feeling and experiencing so much, dancing and singing about it. He’s the Joker, so I guess that makes sense to me.
Beetz said of the film as a musical in an interview last year.
Does Joker 2 change Harley Quinn?
With Joker: Folie a Deux set in DC’s “Elseworlds” banner – existing outside of the continuity of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s main DC universe – it was safe to assume that Gaga wouldn’t reprise her role in the broader canon. Still, current Harley Quinn actress Margot Robbie expressed excitement about Gaga carrying the character’s torch.
This makes me very happy because I said from the very beginning that all I wanted was for Harley Quinn to be one of those characters, just like Macbeth or Batman, he always goes from great actor to great actor. It’s a bit like someone making their own Batman, or someone making their own Macbeth. I feel like in not so many cases it’s female characters – Queen Elizabeth I, but beyond that I also had to break out what I had the honor of doing. I thought: Wow! Cate Blanchett played Queen Elizabeth I. Now I’m getting down to it. It’s a great honor to build a foundation so strong that Harley can now be one of those characters that other actors can play. And I think he’s going to do something amazing with it.
– Robbie said about Lady Gaga taking on the role.
Check out the movie trailer below!
As mentioned above, Joker: Folie a Deux will debut in theaters on October 4, 2024.