Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix’s 'Joker: Folie à Deux' Will Be R Rated Due to “Brief Full Nudity” and “Strong Violence”
Joaquin Phoenix is back as the Joker. The follow-up to his 2019 film is officially titled Joker: Folie à Deux, which means shared madness in French, and is headed to theaters this year.
In June 2022, the film’s writer and director Todd Philips posted a photo of the script cover to his Instagram, confirming plans for the sequel and the French title.
The new movie has been kept pretty tightly under wraps, but ahead are all the details and rumors we know about Joker: Folie à Deux.
When does it come out?
Joker: Folie à Deux will hit theaters on October 4.
On Aug. 4, 2022, Phillips posted on Instagram announcing Phoenix and Gaga as the leads, as well as the movie’s release date.
An October release could help increase the film’s chances of being an award contender during the 2025 ceremonies.
Who is in the cast?
Phoenix will be retuning as the film’s titular character. Lady Gaga was cast as Harley Quinn, which fans are very excited about.
According to a 2023 article from IndieWire, it has been confirmed that breakout actor Jacob Lofland will be playing an inmate at Arkham Asylum who befriends Joker.
An April 2023 article by ScreenRant lists Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Harry Lawtey, George Carroll, Gattlin Griffith, Troy Metcalf, Sam Wren Vincent, Alfred Rubin Thompson, Mike Houston, Jimmy Smagula, and Anthony Gullota as cast members.
In October 2022, Deadline also reported on Lawtey’s role, writing “Warner Bros couldn’t be reached for comment regarding Lawtey’s casting, and while the specifics as to his part in the new Joker film aren’t forthcoming, we hear that his role will be a big one.”
What will Joker: Folie à Deux be about?
Official details on the Joker 2 plot have yet to be released. However, it’s expected to pick up after the original movie, which follows Arthur Fleck (Phoenix), an unappreciated rent-a-clown and aspiring standup comedian who lives with his mother and suffers from a mental disorder that causes laughing fits. After being bullied and humiliated, losing his mother, and suffering financially, he takes a murderous turn. The first Joker ends with him in Arkham Asylum after killing a therapist, or so it’s implied.
From there, it’s possible that Joker 2 will find Arthur in the asylum under Harleen Quinzel’s (a.k.a. Harley Quinn) care, where she will then fall madly in love with him and be manipulated into being his evil sidekick. The Joker and Harley Quinn clearly have quite a toxic relationship, so we will probably watch Harleen Quinzel’s downward spiral and the dangerous, even deadly, situations she gets pulled into.
The film’s asylum setting could also open the door to other Gotham City villains.
Is Joker: Folie à Deux a musical?
Considering Gaga is most known for her amazing singing voice, it only makes sense that numerous outlets have reported that Joker 2 will be a musical. Plus, it would be interesting to see a whole new side of the Joker, and a brand new take on the story.
ScreenRant suggests the idea that the songs and musical numbers will take place inside the Joker’s head, since much of the film will likely occur with him as a patient in Arkham Asylum. This would be similar to how he imagined his relationship with Sophie in the first movie. Arthur has always been a theatrical performer, so the musical aspect of the film just fits.
And on March 22, 2024, Variety reported that insiders said the movie will be “mostly a jukebox musical,” with at least 15 covers of “very well-known” songs. One tune is said to be “That’s Entertainment” from the 1953 musical “The Band Wagon,” sung famously by Judy Garland. There may also be an original song or two.
Is there a trailer?
So far, Warner Bros. and DC Studios have yet to release an official trailer for the new movie.
Have they started filming?
Yes, in fact production officially wrapped on April 3, 2023. Phillips shared a tribute to the cast and crew at the time.
“That’s a wrap. Thanks to these two (+ the entire cast) and the BEST crew that the film industry has to offer. From top to bottom. Gonna crawl into a cave now (edit room) and put it all together,” he wrote.
They filmed the last scene on the iconic Bronx Shakespeare steps, where Joker dances while smoking a cigarette in the original movie.
While the movie will still take place in the fictional Gotham City, inspired by New York, most of filming was actually done in Los Angeles this time around because of a $12.6 million tax break to Warner Bros. from the state of California, according to IndieWire.
Are there any photos from production?
Getty Images captured some pictures from set on March 25 and 26, and April 1, 2, and 3 of 2023 in New York City. While they don’t show us too much, it gives just the perfect taste for the vibe of the film.
Over the past two years, Phillips has also been sharing some teaser photos on Instagram.
Joker: Folie à Deux reportedly won’t be a part of the DCU.
According to Variety in October 2022, a source revealed that Joker 2 will “exist outside of any cinematic universe that [co-CEOs of DC Studios James Gunn and Peter Safran] will be building out.”
Joker: Folie à Deux will be R-rated.
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has officially given Joker: Folie à Deux an R rating. MPA released a rating bulletin on April 3, stating that it is rated R due to “some strong violence, language throughout, some sexuality, and brief full nudity.” The first film was also rated R for, “strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language and brief sexual images.”
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