The genius behind Joker: Folie à Deux delivered the best Valentine’s present to fans—as if confirming Lady Gaga’s role as Harley Quinn.
It was indeed a ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ to fans all over the world, as captioned by Director Todd Phillips after he revealed on his Instagram page, together with Lady Gaga on her Twitter account, the first look of the American singer-songwriter in the upcoming sequel to the 2019 dark villain origin story of the Joker.
The photo showcases Lady Gaga’s character—which many believed was Harley Quinn—in an embrace with Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker. While it is yet to be confirmed, the strong emotions implied in the photo strongly suggest the reality of the rumors surrounding her role. A teaser released last summer also provides a clue that maybe she will star as the Batman villain, which has been recently portrayed by Margot Robbie.
This is not the first time that Todd Phillips has worked with Lady Gaga. It can be remembered that the hit romance drama A Star Is Born was also produced by Phillips. After the groundbreaking success of the 2019 film Joker, which earned more than $1 billion at the box office despite the controversies raised (the highest-grossing R-rated film in history), they began filming the sequel last December.
Here’s What We Know So Far About Joker: Folie à Deux
With so few details revealed, fans can only weave creative speculations up to this moment on how the upcoming sequel will turn out. However, if there’s one thing that we’re certain of, it’s the fact that Joker: Folie à Deux is expected to be released in October 2024.
Following the ending of the first movie, where Arthur Fleck/Joker is held captive in Arkham Asylum, theories come out that this could be the perfect place for Harley Quinn and Joker to meet. Before becoming the wild and unpredictable villain, Harley Quinn used to be the great psychiatrist, Dr. Harleen Quinzel, assigned to be the Joker’s therapist. And what better place to start an epic story of romance and rampage than that of Arkham, right?
Joker: Folie à Deux is believed to follow the downward spiral of Arthur Fleck’s transformation into DC’s iconic villain. With the undergoing changes in the creative leadership of DC, Phillip’s Joker movies and Matt Reeve’s Batman titles are reported to be housed under DC Elseworld and not under DC Universe.
With the achievements made by the melancholic psychodrama Joker—earning 11 Oscar nominations and winning two awards—fans are getting wild and eager to finally know what happens to this second chapter of Joker’s life.
Joaquin Phoenix brought home the Best Actor award for his portrayal of Arthur Fleck, while Hildur Guðnadóttir took home several awards for her score, including the Golden Globe for Best Original Score and the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media. Most recently, Lady Gaga bagged the Best Original Song for this year’s Oscars following the success of Top Gun: Maverick’s “Hold My Hand.”
Alongside Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix, Harry Lawtey, Jacob Lofland, and Brendan Gleeson will also be starring in the Joker: Folie à Deux. Are you excited to see the sequel of Joker? Do keep posted for the most recent updates!
