Director of Joker Reveals Initial Sequel Idea Was for Joaquin Phoenix to Perform Live on Broadway
Joker: Folie à Deux is nearing its release date, and as the fans hold their anticipation, the director of the film has dropped new details about the upcoming sequel. The filmmaker, Todd Phillips, shared with the audience that the initial idea for the movie was quite different from the final edit, which will hit screens shortly.
In conversation with Variety, the director claimed that he planned, along with Joaquin Phoenix, for the latter to perform live at the Broadway musical. Meanwhile, the actor, too, joined the conversation alongside the director and commented on the previous ideas for the film.
Phoenix also shared that the raw plot for the Broadway idea was presented by him to Phillips after the actor won an Oscar for his portrayal of Arthur Fleck in the 2019 film, Joker.
While speaking to the media portal, the actor revealed, “Todd was in the wings talking to me through a headset.” He added, “I woke up feeling elated and called him, hoping he’d want to do a show with me.”
Moreover, Phillips added to the conversation, claiming that he did think about going to Broadway. However, they let loose the idea after realizing it might take a little more time to curate the performance than expected.
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The director shared, “When we started really thinking about it, we realized it takes four years to put something like that together. And is Joaquin really going to give six months of his life to do that every night onstage?” He further stated, “Then we thought about doing it at the Carlyle as sort of a smaller thing. But COVID hit.”
Though the plans on Broadway were skipped by the cast and crew, they did lay the foundation for the musical production. Joker: Folie à Deux is one of the highly anticipated films of the year. While Phoenix will reprise his role as Arthur Fleck, the movie will also introduce Lady Gaga as the partner of the Joker, Harley Quinn.
As for the plot, the synopsis of the movie reads, “Failed comedian Arthur Fleck meets the love of his life, Harley Quinn, while incarcerated at Arkham State Hospital. Upon his release, the two of them embark on a doomed romantic misadventure.”
Joker: Folie à Deux is set to hit theaters on October 4.
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