2019’s Joker was a critical and commercial success, so it was only a matter of time when the sequel would be confirmed.
Director Todd Phillips has revealed the title to his Joker sequel. The film will be called Joker: Folie à Deux and will see Joaquin Phoenix return to the titular role, which won him an Oscar in 2020.
Joker, which premiered at Venice International Film Festival in 2019 was critically acclaimed and made Warner Brothers a hefty sum at the box office, bringing home just over $1 billion against an approximately $70 million budget.
So a sequel was a given, even if not strictly necessary. Interpretative dance was a huge part of the first film’s narrative and, some would argue, charm. It tip-toed the line between commercial entertainment and art, taking inspiration from classic Batman comics while also borrowing heavily from Martin Scorsese’s filmography, notably The King of Comedy.
It seems that dancing will once again be a huge part of Joker’s story as sources are reporting that Joker: Folie à Deux is indeed a musical. Folie à Deux is a psychiatric disorder which affects two or more people and we have a pretty good guess who is sharing Joker’s psychosis: Harley Quinn.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lady Gaga is currently in talks to star in the projects and presumably as Harley. Audiences are more familiar with the character through Margot Robbie’s acclaimed performance in Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad, but another, much grittier version would fit Phillips’ vision nicely.
Nothing is official yet, but fans have already taken to social media to voice their opinions. The general consensus seems to be that a musical seems to be a strange choice of genre and Robbie’s performance is difficult to top, so why even try? Lady Gaga earned herself an Oscar nomination for Best Actress after starring in Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born, which Phillips produced, as well as taking home the Best Original Song for the film’s emotional ballad ‘Shallow.’
Joker: Folie à Deux doesn’t have a release date or a shooting schedule currently, but once we have confirmation on the star power, things will certainly get moving.
