Joker: Folie à Deux

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Joker: Folie à Deux
Directed byTodd Phillips
Written by
Based onCharacters
from DC
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyLawrence Sher
Edited byJeff Groth
Music byHildur Guðnadóttir
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • October 4, 2024 (2024-10-04)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$200 million[1]

Joker: Folie à Deux[a] is an upcoming American musical psychological thriller film slated to be a sequel to the 2019 film Joker. Joaquin Phoenix reprises his role as the DC Comics character the Joker, and Lady Gaga plays Harley Quinn. Zazie Beetz also reprises her role from the first film, while Steve Coogan, Brendan Gleeson, and Catherine Keener join the cast in undisclosed roles. The film is directed by Todd Phillips, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Silver. It is produced by Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Studios in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, Bron Creative and Joint Effort.

Joker was initially conceived as a standalone film, although Warner Bros. intended for it to launch a DC Black film series. By August 2019, Phillips had expressed interest in making a sequel, although he reiterated that Joker was not set up to have one. Phoenix hinted about reprising his role in October 2019. A sequel officially entered development in June 2022, with Gaga and Beetz joining later that year. Principal photography took place in Los Angeles, New York City, and Belleville, New Jersey, from December 2022 to April 2023.

Joker: Folie à Deux is scheduled to be released in the United States on October 4, 2024, by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Cast

  • Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck / Joker: A mentally ill, impoverished former party clown and stand-up comedian disregarded by society, whose history of physical and mental abuse caused him to become a nihilistic criminal with a clown-inspired persona.
  • Lady Gaga as Dr. Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn: A psychiatrist initially assigned to treat Arthur; her curiosity eventually turns to obsession and she forms a deadly romantic relationship with him.[4][5]
  • Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond: A single mother and Arthur's former neighbor.[6]

Additionally, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland, Steve Coogan, Ken Leung and Harry Lawtey have been cast in undisclosed roles, while Leigh Gill and Sharon Washington reprise their roles as Gary and Arthur's social worker, respectively.[7][8][9][10]

Production

Development

Joker (2019) was intended to be a standalone film with no sequels,[11] but Warner Bros. intended for it to launch DC Black, a line of DC Comics-based films unrelated to the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) franchise with darker, more experimental material, similar to the DC Black Label comics publisher.[12][13][14] While director Todd Phillips said in August 2019 that he would be interested in making a sequel, depending on the film's performance and if Phoenix was interested,[15] he later clarified that "the movie's not set up to [have] a sequel. We always pitched it as one movie, and that's it."[16] In October 2019, Phoenix spoke to journalist and Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers of possibly reprising the role of Arthur, centering on Travers' asking of Phoenix if he considers Joker to be his "dream role." Phoenix stated, "I can't stop thinking about it... if there's something else we can do with Joker that might be interesting,"[17] and concluded, "It's nothing that I really wanted to do prior to working on this movie. I don't know that there is [more to do] ... Because it seemed endless, the possibilities of where we can go with the character."[18] He was paid $20 million for his involvement.[19]

In November 2019, The Hollywood Reporter reported that a sequel was in development, with Phillips, Silver, and Phoenix allegedly expected to reprise their duties.[20] However, Deadline Hollywood reported the same day that The Hollywood Reporter's story was false and that negotiations had not even begun yet.[21] Phillips responded to the reports by saying that he had discussed a sequel with Warner Bros. and it remained a possibility, but it was not in development.[22] Phillips also confirmed that The Batman (2022) would not be set in the same continuity as Joker.[23] During an interview with Variety at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Phillips expressed interest in a spin-off focusing on Batman, saying, "It's a beautiful Gotham. What I would like to see someone tackle is what Batman looks like from that Gotham. I'm not saying I'm going to do that. What was interesting to me about the inclusion of Batman in our movie was 'What kind of Batman does that Gotham make?' That's all I meant by that."[23] In June 2022, Phillips announced that the sequel was in development, with a script by him and Silver. The film was also revealed to be titled Joker: Folie à Deux.[24][25] By February 2023, DC Studios CEO James Gunn confirmed that Folie à Deux would be a DC Elseworlds project, taking place outside the main cinematic DC Universe (DCU).[b][28]

Casting

Days after the film's official announcement, it was announced Lady Gaga was in talks to portray Harley Quinn and that the film would be a musical.[29] Gaga would confirm her casting later that summer.[30] She received $12 million for her involvement.[1] In August 2022, it was reported Zazie Beetz was in negotiations to reprise her role as Sophie Dumond in the film.[31] Beetz was confirmed to be reprising her role the following month, alongside the cast additions of Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener and Jacob Lofland.[6][7][8] Gleeson joined the project out of his admiration for both Phoenix's "indelible" performance in the first film and Gaga, but admitted to being "kinda intimidated" as to what he had to do for his role.[32] In October, Harry Lawtey joined the cast in what Deadline Hollywood reported as a "big role".[9]

Filming

The abandoned Essex County Isolation Hospital in Belleville, New Jersey (pictured in March 2023, with vintage cars and props) served as a filming location for Arkham State Hospital

Principal photography began on December 10, 2022, with Phillips releasing a first look on his Instagram account and Lawrence Sher serving as cinematographer.[33][34] Sher had cited Francis Ford Coppola's One from the Heart (1982) as a source of visual inspiration for the film.[35] Exterior filming occurred in Los Angeles and New York by March 2023.[36] Lady Gaga had filmed scenes with a crowd of extras demanding Joker's arrest outside of the New York County Courthouse, which had led some people nearby to mistake it for the arrest of Donald Trump following his first indictment.[37] Arkham Asylum scenes were filmed at the abandoned Essex County Isolation Hospital in New Jersey.[38] In April 2023, filming took place at the "Joker Stairs", the stairway on West 167th Street in the Bronx featured prominently in the first film.[39] Filming officially wrapped on April 5, 2023.[40] The film is shot partially with IMAX-certified digital cameras.[41]

Post-production

In December 2023, Gunn revealed he was working on the film as an executive producer, reviewing shot material and giving his notes regarding it.[42] The film reportedly has a budget of $200 million, a large increase from Joker's budget of $60 million.[1]

Music

The film will feature musical elements and Hildur Guðnadóttir has composed the score, returning from the first film.[43] The film is expected to include 15 musical numbers, most of them covers of preexisting songs, but with "[the] door open for an original song (or two)", that will incorporate elements of Guðnadóttir's score. One of the songs expected to be included is "That’s Entertainment" from The Band Wagon (1953).[44]

Release

Joker: Folie à Deux is scheduled to be released theatrically in the United States on October 4, 2024, by Warner Bros. Pictures.[25]

Notes

  1. ^ Folie à deux (US: /fˌl ə ˈdʌ/ foh-LEE ə DUH[2]) is a French-derived term meaning "folly for two" or "madness [shared] by two."[3]
  2. ^ The DC Universe (DCU) had been created as a soft reboot of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) following the subsequent transformation of DC Films into DC Studios during the formation of Warner Bros. Discovery.[26][27]

References

  1. ^ a b c Siegel, Tatiana (February 21, 2024). "Warner Bros. Spends Big: 'Joker 2' Budget Hits $200 Million, Lady Gaga's $12 Million Payday, Courting Tom Cruise's New Deal and More". Variety. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  2. ^ Wells, John C. (2008), Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.), Longman, p. 665, ISBN 9781405881180
  3. ^ Chapman, Wilson (August 5, 2022). "Everything We Know About 'Joker 2' So Far". Variety. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  4. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 1, 2022). "'Joker: Folie à Deux' Adds Brendan Gleeson To Ensemble". Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  5. ^ Sharf, Zack (October 7, 2022). "Margot Robbie Gives Lady Gaga Her Blessing for Harley Quinn Role in 'Joker 2': 'She'll Do Something Incredible With It'". Variety. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (September 1, 2022). "'Joker: Folie à Deux' Adds Brendan Gleeson To Ensemble". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (September 7, 2022). "Joker: Folie á Deux Adds Catherine Keener In Secret Role". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Kit, Borys (September 13, 2022). "Joker: Folie à Deux Casts Jacob Lofland in Key Arkham Asylum Role (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Grobar, Matt (October 20, 2022). "Joker: Folie à Deax Adds Industry's Harry Lawtey". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
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External links