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Intro
After an impressive $1 billion at the worldwide box office, Todd Phillips returns to the director’s chair to direct the sequel to his 2019 film, Joker 2.
One of the most famous villains in superhero history, the Joker, is the ultimate criminal lunatic that fans love to hate.
From his iconic red smile to his sarcastic comments, the DC character has been brought to life by some very famous actors such as Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson , and Joaquin Phoenix.
The latter even won his first Best Actor Oscar for his compelling portrayal of Arthur Fleck‘s journey from failed clown and struggling comedian to violent and deranged criminal.
Now that we know some interesting details about the upcoming production, including the official release date and a new addition to the cast, here is a compilation of all the information we know so far about this sequel project.
Joker 2: what will be the title of the new movie?
The new Joker movie will be called, “Joker: Folie à deux,” Folie à deux is the French expression for “madness for two” or shared psychosis
It refers to a delusion or mental illness shared by two people in close association, and is also commonly used in English to describe this particular type of illness.
From the title, we can predict that Arthur Fleck ‘s twisted psyche will once again be explored in the film, although it could mean that a second protagonist will come into play, as a true “sidekick” with whom Joker shares his plans.
Joker 2: what will be the film’s release date?
After mixed reviews and debates about the morality of the first film, it took a while to know for sure whether there would be a sequel. Fortunately, in June Phillips shared an Instagram post of the script cover to confirm the news.
The post not only carried the official title of the film, Joker: Folie À Deux, but also revealed that the director will return to direct and continue telling the story of the infamous villain together with his co-writer, Scott Silver.
On August 3, 2022, it was revealed that the sequel will be released on October 4, 2024. The release date will be five years after the release of the first film in theaters. Although there is still a long way to go, the film and the story the producers are creating will surely repay the wait.
Joker 2: Trailer
Unfortunately, since Joker 2 is still in development and has not yet entered production, an official trailer for the film has not yet been released.
However, Lady Gaga shared a teaser on her social media in which her and Phoenix ‘s last names appear in bold and their silhouettes side by side, just to confirm a casting choice that had long been speculated.
Joker 2: The new film will be a Musical
The DC Universe may have its first musical in the Joker sequel. Rumor has it that the film, starring Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, will be treated as a musical… but of course, how could it not be?
It had already been rumored for some time that the sequel would be a musical, even before the“Shallow” singer committed to this project. Fall Out Boy even joined in the fun, tweeting“Folie à Deux the musical coming soon” with a poster of the film, teasing that the film shares the name of the band’s 2008 album.
Grace Randolph, film critic, comic book writer and YouTuber, joined in confirming the indiscretion.
“I found out today that Joker 2 is from the point of view of Harley Quinn aka Lady Gaga (and she plays that character),” Randolph tweeted, “And that’s why it’s a musical – that’s how this Harley sees things.” The tweet was accompanied by the movie poster and a Dodgeball meme that read, “It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off.”
Not much more is known about what the film will look like or how much the story will be told in the form of a musical. Fortunately, we know that Joaquin Phoenix can sing very well, thanks to his portrayal of country singer Johnny Cash in 2005, but the rest of the cast, still largely unannounced, remains to be seen.
DC fans are divided over the prospect of a musical about the Joker. Some are excited about the monumental genre crossover, while others hope screenwriter and director Todd Phillips is not too inexperienced when it comes to musicals.
Joker 2: who will be the new Harley Quinn?
As seen in her post, Lady Gaga will be on board the Joker sequel and everything seems to indicate that she will play Harley Quinn in the next film. The character was originally introduced in the comics as Dr. Harleen Quinzel, a psychiatrist who ends up falling in love with her mentally ill patient, Arthur Fleck.
This is not the first time Gaga has played a devious character on the big screen. Last year, the singer/actress played Patrizia Reggiani in Ridley Scott ‘s film about the tragic death of Maurizio Gucci (played by Adam Driver).
Audiences who have seen House of Gucci know that Gaga is perfectly capable of playing a femme fatale to perfection, so her role as Harley Quinn seems a rather apt casting choice.
Joker 2: Who else will be in the film?
A wide range of talented performers will join Phoenix and Gaga in Joker 2. Zazie Beetz, who played Sophie, the beautiful neighbor Arthur stalks in the 2019 film, is in talks to reprise her role.
Brendan Gleeson, who is garnering much acclaim at the Oscars for his role in The Island Spirits, will also join the cast. Oscar-nominated actress Catherine Keener also joined the project in a key role. Other new cast members in the sequel are Harry Lawtey and Jacob Lofland.
Joker 2: What will be the plot of the new movie?
Although plot details are completely confidential, the sequel is said to take place mainly in Arkham Asylum. Based on the title, the story will probably follow a similar path to that of the comic books.
Because Harley Quinn and Arthur Fleck fall in love at the asylum, the film could focus on their love story and how it reflects on their cruel partnership in the future.
Unlike its predecessor, Joker 2 will be less gritty and will probably not have a gothic soundtrack. This is because the sequel will be a musical, and as we all know, this genre tends to make things more cheerful.
Since Gaga won an Oscar for her work in“Shallow,” the hit original song in the 2018 version of A Star Is Born, the musical aspect of the new film will be in good hands.
An unnamed but reliable source recently stated that the film will have some“complicated musical sequences,” and that the budget will be much higher than that of the first film, about $150 million.
Will Joker 2 be in the same universe as “The Batman”?
Given that the Joker ‘s mortal enemy in The Batman takes a similarly dark approach, one might wonder if Robert Pattinson ‘s character could be related to Phoenix‘s. After all, at the end of the 2022 film, audiences see the Riddler and the Joker in contact with each other behind bars.
Despite the hint of Joker ‘s future involvement in the Bat story, Matt Reeves explained the real reason he decided to include this nod to the iconic villain in an interview.
“Initially I tested it without it; when I put it back on, the scores for the final came back up. And I think it wasn’t just the fact that people enjoyed seeing that character. It changed people’s reaction to the very ending of the film, in seeing that Gotham was still Gotham and that Batman really had no choice.”
Phillips was also very direct when Joker came out, which was not directly related to the DC Extended Universe. Instead of linking the character to Justice League or Suicide Squad, the director wanted the film to focus solely on the villain’s story.
Phillips even proposed that Warner Bros. create a label called DC Black, in which various directors could choose a DC character and adapt its story on the big screen without being tied to other franchises.
