It’s the movie you never realized you needed starring the perfect leading actress! Before the first film was even released, rumors have been running rampant that director Todd Phillips would be reteaming with Joaquin Phoenix on a sequel to their Oscar-winning magnum opus comic book film The Joker (2019). Flash forward to now. We not only have proof that the film is happening but major news about Phoenix’s potential co-star!
The Script is Fini!
Things have been moving at a lightning pace this week with updates on this long-rumored sequel. Phillips recently confirmed through an Instagram post that the script was completed and already in Phoenix’s hands. Phillips shared a photo of the script’s cover page, which was written with The Joker (2019) co-writer, Scott Silver. The photo also confirmed that the film’s working title is Joker: Folie à Deux, referencing a medical term for a mental disorder that affects two or more individuals.
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For now, plot details are being kept under lock and key. We know that Todd Phillips is planning to return to the director’s chair. There are also murmurs that the film is planned as a musical. Perhaps even more interesting, though, is that Oscar-winning actress and musician Lady Gaga is in talks to co-star.
A Monster Of A Casting
Yes, you read that correctly.
Lady Gaga has been on the market for a new major film role, following her recent turn in Ridley Scott’s House Of Gucci (2021). She may have found it here with this new take on the iconic DC Comics character Harley Quinn.
According to Deadline, Gaga will be playing the Arkham Asylum psychiatrist that falls madly (a little too on the nose?) in love with her patient, The Joker. We don’t know yet if the plan is to have the entire film be a musical. It could very well simply feature musical sequences throughout it. Either way, Lady Gaga sounds like phenomenal casting for a musical take on this DC Comics legend.
As the first Joker film stands on its own, outside the rest of the DC Entertainment Universe, Lady Gaga’s interpretation of Harley Quinn should have no effect on Margot Robbie returning to the role for future DC films.
Applause
The release of The Joker (2019) made a major impression at the box office. It brought in $1.07 billion globally against a budget of just $55 million. It was a hit with critics and audiences alike, netting an impressive 11 Oscar nominations and winning two of them: Best Actor for Joaquin Phoenix and Best Original Score for composer Hildur Guðnadóttir.
Warner Bros The Joker: Folie à Deux is expected to begin filming sometime later this year with an anticipated release window of mid-2023. While Joaquin Phoenix’s contract is not officially in place for the film, he is expected to return to the leading role of Arthur Fleck. No additional cast has been confirmed at the time of this writing.
What do you think about this casting rumor? Do you think Gaga is a good fit for a new take on Harley Quinn? Should they even be making a sequel to The Joker (2019)? Let us hear your thoughts in the comments section below, and stick around GeekAnything for more Joker updates!
