Joker became a surprise smash hit in 2019, netting over $1 billion on a $70 million budget. Naturally, director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix got to work on a sequel. Joker: Folie à Deux will pick up where the first movie left off, with the grief-mad Arthur Fleck confined to a mental institution.
And now we have a look at what he’s been up to these past few years! Phillips announced the start of filming over the weekend, complete with our first picture of Phoenix back in the saddle as Fleck:
Surprise, surprise: life in Arkham Asylum is grim: Fleck looks emaciated, with sores all over his arms. Honestly, this picture kind of reminds me of that scene from Game of Thrones where Ramsay Bolton has Reek give him a shave. Although the Joker scene might end differently; does anyone wanna bet he’s gonna grab that razor and do something nefarious?
No picture of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn yet
Phillips and his team are swinging big with Joker: Folie à Deux. Word is that it’s going to be a musical, and that Lady Gaga will star as the Joker’s longtime love interest Harley Quinn. We don’t have a picture of her in character, but I am extremely curious to see how they approach that.
FYI, “Folie à Deux” means “a madness shared by two,” which is a pretty good description of the relationship between the Joker and Harley Quinn as it’s usually depicted. The new movie comes out in October of 2024.
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