Everything To Know About The Musical Joker Sequel

When the DC Comics film Joker came out in 2019, it bagged its lead actor Joaquin Phoenix, an Oscar for best actor — and since then, fans of Batman’s biggest adversary have been eagerly waiting on a follow-up. Once again directed by Todd Phillips and co-written with Scott Silver, The Hollywood Reporter claims that the forthcoming sequel, officially titled Joker: Folie à Deux, will offer up a bit of a curveball. In what sounds like a striking departure from the bleak nihilism of the original Joker origin story, pop sensation-turned-Hollywood starlet Lady Gaga was confirmed for the sequel in June 2022.

The singer shared the announcement on social media, with a post that featured a Parisian-inspired video of Phoenix’s Joker silhouette and a Gaga-shaped figure coming together. Lady Gaga narrowly missed out on an Oscar for her leading role in A Star Is Born — incidentally produced by Joker: Folie à Deux filmmaker Phillips — and she will be playing Joker’s sidekick Harley Quinn. As DC Comics fans well know, the character of Quinn is a former psychiatrist who falls in love with the Joker while he’s staying at Gotham City’s Arkham Asylum. And she soon transforms into his evil accomplice, which audiences saw in the Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey films, where she’s played by Margot Robbie.

With the film now in production, on-set photos have revealed her Harley Quinn look. More on that, and everything else you need to know about the film, below.

Joker: Folie à Deux Cast

Lady Gaga will star in the sequel opposite Joaquin Phoenix, who will reprise his Oscar-winning role as Arthur Fleck, aka the Joker. In an undisclosed roles, Industry’s Harry Lawtey, Catherine Keener (Get Out), Jacob Lofland (The Maze Runner), and Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin) are all set to feature in the sequel, too. And Zazie Beetz will be returning as Sophie.

On March 25, as Gaga filmed in New York City, fans got the first images of her Harley Quinn look. The singer-actor can be seen in costume, her character seemingly being escorted by a horde of police officers down crowd-lined steps.

Joker: Folie à Deux Plot

Details surrounding the plot of the much-anticipated release are being kept tightly under wraps. Although, Joker director Todd Phillips has reportedly conceptualised Folie à Deux as a musical. The movie’s social media teaser, which uses the instrumental of jazz classic “Cheek to Cheek,” supports this.

The term “folie à deux” used in the sequel’s title is a French term that’s used in medical discussions to refer to an identical or similar mental disorder impacting two or more people. It’s sometimes referred to as “madness of two.” Seemingly, this suggests that we might see Harley and the Joker go down a similar road in the upcoming film.

Meanwhile, on Valentine’s Day 2023, director Phillips and lead actor Gaga both shared the first look at Harley Quinn and the Joker in the upcoming sequel. We see the Joker in his typical clown-inspired make up, with Harley holding his face with what appears to be a bloody nose.

Joker: Folie à Deux’s Release Date

In the social media teaser shared by Gaga on Aug. 4 2022, it was confirmed that Joker: Folie à Deux will be released in cinemas on Oct. 4, 2024.