Lady Gaga Goes Full Clown In The Musical Joker 2 Trailer
Talk about a bad romance.
Joaquin Phoenix is set to reprise his titular role in a sequel to 2019’s Joker, but don’t expect the the follow-up, Joker: Folie à Deux, to be a typical villain movie. On Aug. 4, 2022, Lady Gaga took to Instagram to share a teaser for the upcoming film, confirming her involvement in the movie as well as its release date. She is taking on the iconic role of the Joker’s one-time sidekick turned supervillain of her own, Harley Quinn.
So, will the new project give fans new Gaga music? It is a musical, after all. Here’s everything to know about Joker: Folie à Deux.
The film’s title is actually a French psychiatric term used to describe a rare phenomenon in which two people share the same mental illness or hallucinations. In the comic books and past iterations of the Joker and Harley Quinn’s twisted love story, Harley begins as Joker’s doctor at Arkham Asylum, eventually falling in love with him and becoming his sidekick.
Of course, Gaga is no stranger to the big screen, having stolen hearts in A Star is Born, not to mention her ambitious role in House of Gucci, despite its mixed reviews. As an actor who likes to really immerse herself in every role, playing Harley Quinn will undoubtedly be an intense task.
Considering Gaga’s success as a triple threat (she earned an Oscar for “Shallow” from A Star Is Born), the musical direction for Joker: Folie à Deux makes a lot more sense. In Gaga’s teaser, cutouts of Joker and her character are seen dancing to a rendition of “Cheek to Cheek,” a jazz song Gaga famously covered with Tony Bennett on their first joint album together.
Below, more about the sequel.
Only 1 Other Joker Character Is Returning
Aside from Phoenix and Gaga’s involvement, the only other confirmed cast member with a revealed character is Zazie Beetz as Sophie, the role she played in 2019’s Joker. Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland, and Harry Lawtey have all joined the cast, but their roles have yet to be revealed.
Lady Gaga Already Looks The Part
On March 25, 2023, the first photos of Gaga in her Harley Quinn costume were caught on the Joker: Folie à Deux set. The pics show Gaga with clown-like eye makeup wearing a red jacket over Harley’s signature black-and-white diamond patterned top.
On Dec. 25, 2023, director Todd Phillips gave fans a Christmas present by dropping another look at Gaga’s Harley Quinn. In the new still, Harley appears to be just starting to fall for her bad romance, having not yet transformed into her clowned-up alter-ego.
The Trailer Is A Musical Fever Dream
After months and months of quick looks and teases, the full Joker: Folie á Deux trailer dropped on April 9, 2024. The clip emphasized the musical elements of the movie, as Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn meets her twisted lover and launches into grand dance routines across Gotham City. Interestingly enough, Quinn’s character arc in the trailer seems to closely mirror Gaga’s other famous movie character, A Star Is Born’s Ally, who also falls into all-consuming and toxic love with a tortured star.
It’ll Be A While Before It Hits Theaters
Unfortunately, fans have quite a long wait for this follow-up. Gaga’s initial announcement confirmed the release date: Oct. 4, 2024.
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