Get ready to put on your happy face because the Clown Prince of Crime/The Harlequin of Hate is back in town! Yes, Joaquin Phoenix is reprising his Oscar-winning portrayal of the dark and mysterious Arthur Fleck in Joker 2. Well, this time he’s teamed up with the fierce and fabulous Lady Gaga to shut down all the haters who didn’t think a sequel was necessary.
The new poster for Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux features a menacing jig performed by the villainous duo, suggesting that Phoenix’s Joker has found his wild match in Gaga’s Harley Quinn. The Brooklyn-born director, 53, attended the film’s Tuesday night CinemaCon Las Vegas presentation, where Warner Bros. debuted the first trailer for the project.
Love in Chaos: Joaquin Phoenix & Lady Gaga’s Chemistry in Joker 2
Warner Bros. produced Joker: Folie à Deux, which stars Joaquin Phoenix in a role he won an Oscar for and Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. The film unveiled its first trailer on Tuesday. The first movie took home the Best Original Score and Best Actor (Phoenix) Oscars at the 92nd Academy Awards.
The trailer for the sequel was unveiled by the studio to attendees of CinemaCon in Las Vegas during its studio presentation, we learned from Deadline. Well, hold onto your red noses, because the trailer for Joker 2 revolves around mad people falling in love. Phoenix can be seen performing on stage at a nightclub.
What the World Needs Now Is Love is playing as the video is played. Phoenix and Gaga run through the streets of Manhattan, dreaming of dancing under the stars while elegantly attired. Harley visits the Joker in Arkham Asylum, the jail, as the trailer comes to a close.
Revisiting as director and co-writer, Todd Phillips describes the follow-up as a drama with musical elements that takes place in and around Arkham Asylum. Zazie Beetz, who returned from the first movie, joins Catherine Keener, Brendan Gleeson, Jacob Lofland, and Harry Lawtey in the cast.
With a $1.07 billion global box office haul, Joker became the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time (Box Office Mozo). Needless to say, it was a huge hit for Warner Bros. and DC. According to the MPA, the new movie has an R rating due to “strong violence, language throughout, some s*xuality, and brief full n*dity”. The movie will be released in theaters later this year.
Lady Gaga Joins Joaquin Phoenix in A Formidable Duo to Silence Critics
Hollywood heavyweight Joaquin Phoenix, who won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in Joker, decimated his acting competitors. The remarkable honor was his first-ever significant victory in this category.
And from the way that the sequel, which stars singer Lady Gaga, is continuously teased ahead of its release later this year, it seems that fans of Joker are still captivated by Phoenix’s incredible performance.
The actor, 49, is back in all his chain-smoking, clown makeup-wearing glory, and this time he is joined by the incomparable Lady Gaga. The latter plays the psychiatrist who was initially assigned to treat Arthur, but her fascination with him turns into an obsession, and here begins a lethal romantic relationship.
Despite the 2019 flick’s success, some critics questioned the need for a sequel. They might argue that the $1.079 billion psychological thriller was a self-contained story that didn’t require further exploration. Let us take a look at some comments (via X):
Looks so good. I didn't think a sequel was needed but now I want this film injected in my veins 🤡🤡
— Eddie (@OHMYDIAZ) April 10, 2024
Joaquin Phoenix is winning another Oscar for this.
— Hafeesco (@Abdul_charming) April 10, 2024
I kept hearing the beginning of “pure imagination” from Wonka with that piano intro.
— David Guzman (@Goostafah) April 10, 2024
Who’s bright idea was it to put these two together in the same room 😭 pic.twitter.com/cEgAV4RKtx
— Guru (@AnimeGuru100) April 10, 2024
It looks like a typical sequel in the sense that it appears it's going to redo all of the main elements of the first one but change some things here and there.
— GoldenAgeGeek (@GoldenAgeGeeks) April 10, 2024
Finally something different and creative.
Not a fan of musicals, may not even like it… bit damn to i appreciate some gd creativity— azazil (@ShadowSquiggsX) April 10, 2024
So to all the naysayers who were skeptical about a follow-up to the Joker, we would just say this: put your fears to rest because Phoenix and Gaga are here to put you at ease. With the former reprising his role as the iconic Clown Prince of Crime and Gaga by his side, this film promises to defy expectations and leave audiences speechless.
Joker: Folie à Deux is coming to a theater on October 4, 2024.
