First Look At Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix In Joker Sequel

The first Joker film directed by Todd Phillips that came out in 2019 was an unhinged and unpredictable drama-thriller. The madness of the famous DC character was rightfully presented in the film, with every aspect being unique and interesting. Joaquin Phoenix played the infamous insane clown who everyone adores out here in the real world. Todd Phillips had announced early on that he plans on making more films out of the story, and now, he is delivering on his promise with the same writer from before, Scott Silver. So, what’s new about the new Joker?

Joker: Folie à Deux

The sequel in the Joker franchise is called Folie à deux, a term that refers to a similar mental disorder that is shared by two people within a close setting, usually a family. This is a reference to Joker finally finding his Harleen Quinzel, better known as Harley Quinn. And who better to play the mad psychiatrist than Lady Gaga herself? Todd Phillips continued his tradition of dropping teasers on his Instagram about his films. Aptly enough, he shared a picture of Pheonix and Gaga in character from the film at the perfect time on Valentine’s Day.

Singer-songwriter Lady Gaga confirmed that she will be a major part of the film back in August 2022. The artist has previously starred in films like House of Gucci, and A Star is Born. She is, of course, primarily famous for her musical skills. A 13-time Grammy-winning artist, she has recently co-written and performed her hit song Hold My Hand, which was an important part of Tom Cruise’s film Top Gun: Maverick. This song earned her another round of nominations, including a nomination for Best Song at the academy.

 Gaga has been trying to act more and more, landing interesting roles and avoiding being typecast. Now she plays the insane and in-love Harley Quinn. The role has previously been played by the amazing Margot Robbie. While Margot is not exactly out as Quinn, she has admitted that playing the character has become exhausting work. So as of now, we don’t know if and when she will be returning as Harley Quinn next.

The Joker storyline is completely out of reach from James Gunn’s DCEU and the plans they have laid out for that particular universe. The same goes for Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which is also getting a sequel soon. These films are unrelated to the DCEU and are called the Elseworlds, a disconnected timeline that won’t be affected by Gunn and Safran’s ideas, which is appropriate given these are standalone films by different directors.

Joker: Folie à deux is slated for an October 4, 2024, release date. This means Phillips and his crew have roughly over a year to wrap up their film. Filming is ongoing in New York as well as Los Angeles, coupled with some other locations. Gag and Phillips have some history, as the director was a producer on Gaga’s A Star is Born. 

The previous Joker left us on an interesting note. The killer clown finally came into his element, sparking violent protests and riots in Gotham city after murdering a famous TV show host live in front of the cameras. We see the Wayne murders taking place, which has many suspecting a possible Batman crossover in the works.

DC has not revealed any plans of a crossover between Phillips and Reeves’ franchises, the former could also introduce a Batman of his own or not include the character at all since these films really focus on the clown and not the bat. Either way, the project has everyone excited, and for good reason.