The 2019 film "Joker," starring Joaquin Phoenix, was a box-office hit. With an 8.4/10 rating on IMDb, it landed well with critics. Its October domestic opening set a record high, bringing in $96.2 million, and it is the highest-grossing R-rated movie globally, at $1.07 billion. The blockbuster was visually beautiful in contrast to being psychologically dark and disturbing.
The thriller was directed and produced by Todd Phillips, who also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Scott Silver. "Joker" served as a standalone hypothetical origin story for the egregious DC Comic villain Arthur Fleck.
Heath Ledger was highly appraised for his role as the Joker in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Trilogy," and many questioned if Phoenix could serve justice to the late Ledger's role.
In the psychology book, "Analysing Joker: an attempt to establish diagnosis for a film icon," it is said that Ledger described The Joker as a "psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy." If anything, Phoenix embodied this description scarily well in his portrayal of the iconic villain. In a way, viewers could feel empathy and pity for the depressive and troubled character before he spiraled into a mass murderer.
Nonetheless, it's a disturbing watch that speaks more about society than viewers could have ever imagined, possibly for a superhero villain film. The film's ambiguous ending left viewers wondering what was next for Arthur Fleck. His chilling demise after a sequel was not a question of "if," but rather "when" given that "Joker" won two Oscars: Best Actor for star Joaquin Phoenix and Original Music Score for Hildur Guðnadóttir and was nominated for 11 total.
It was recently announced Todd Phillips and Warner Brothers would bring audiences a "Joker" sequel, "Joker: Folie à Deux," on Oct. 4, 2024.
The French term, according to Deadline, is a "reference for a medical term pertaining to a mental disorder which affects two or more people," in this case, likely The Joker, Harley Quinn, who is set to be played by Lady Gaga and others.
Joining Lady Gaga in the new cast is rising star Jacob Lofland ("Mud," "Maze Runner: The Death Cure), Brendan Gleeson ("In Bruges") and Catherine Keener ("The Adam Project," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin").
Lady Gaga first confirmed her role for the film through a musical teaser of Louis Armstrong's "Cheek to Cheek" on social media, as the film will allegedly incorporate a musical aspect, given Gaga's talent. Gaga has proved herself as an artist and a renowned actress through her roles in "A Star is Born" and "House of Gucci."
It's unclear how the film will fuse music and madness; it could be seen as something that could take away from the complex plot. On the other hand, it could add an eerie component that has never been seen before in a psychological thriller.
If it were anyone but Gaga selling this film as a musical, expectations could be quite questionable. Still, it will likely bring a newfound uniqueness to her versatile range.
Additionally, the film is said to be set in the Arkham Asylum, "the insane asylum frequented by many of Batman's villains in the comics," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Though little is known about the supporting characters besides that Gaga will make her debut as the maniacal monster Harley Quinn, Lofland is supposedly going to play an inmate that grows close to Fleck, (The Joker).
Filming is said to begin in November or December of this year in the Los Angeles and New York City region.
Whether or not the sequel will live up to its predecessor will have to be assessed later. Until then, its release will likely be highly anticipated and teased immensely amongst social media and entertainment platforms.
