Lady Gaga has confirmed that she will be starring alongside Joaquin Phoenix in Todd Phillips’ follow up to 2019’s Joker. The sequel will be titled Joker: Folie à Deux and all signs are pointing to two things – a) it will be a musical b) Gaga will be playing Harley Quinn. The sequel has a planned release date of October 2024.
Gaga’s social media announcement is extremely musical-inspired. It features silhouettes of Phoenix’s Joker who is wearing a suit and smoking, and Gaga in an old fashioned dress, shoes and hairstyle. Both are in dancing poses – first separately, then together. The short video is set to ‘Cheek to Cheek’ which famously featured in the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musical Top Hat (1935).
Harley Quinn has proved to be one of the most popular characters in the DC universe, with Margot Robbie portraying her three times (including in 2020’s Birds of Prey). She is also the star of the successful HBO Max animated series Harley Quinn, in which she is voiced by Kaley Cuoco. It will be interesting to see Gaga’s interpretation, compared to those that have come before.
Both Gaga and Phoenix are both known for going to extreme “method” acting levels to prepare for roles, and also while on the sets of their movies. The title of the Joker sequel refers to a delusional disorder shared by two people. Notable cases include that of teen murderers Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme, which inspired Peter Jackson’s film Heavenly Creatures.
While a musical seems like a big departure for a movie about the Joker, the first movie was more of a serious drama than a typical comic book movie. It was taken so seriously that Phoenix won the Best Actor Oscar. Despite Gaga’s best efforts, she was not nominated for her leading role in 2021’s House of Gucci.
While we wait for more news on Joker 2, check out our guide to the best Batman villains.