Will there be a time jump in Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker: Folie à Deux? Todd Phillips, the creator, has some insights.
Joker: Folie à Deux is set to release in a few months, and fans are excited. Directed by Todd Phillips, this sequel to the 2019 hit Joker stars Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga as Joker and Harley Quinn. Recently, Phillips has discussed details about the movie.
The film Joker: Folie à Deux takes place two years after the original movie. Arthur Fleck is now in Arkham Asylum after killing his favorite late-night host, Murray Franklin (played by Robert De Niro). There, he meets Harleen Lee Quinzel (played by Lady Gaga), a fellow patient who is fascinated by his past as the Joker. Arthur decides to stop taking his medication for her, leading him into a dreamlike world of musicals.
Director Todd Phillips revealed more about the film in an interview with Variety. He explained that the idea for the movie was inspired by a dream Joaquin Phoenix had during the first film’s production. In Folie à Deux, Arthur’s songs are more about romance, while Lee’s focus is on power.
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The movie promises to bring chaos to Gotham, with the relationship between Joker and Harley explored through musical numbers. Phillips describes the movie as his biggest gamble yet, telling Variety that “The goal of this movie is to make it feel like it was made by crazy people, the inmates are running the asylum.”
The musical elements in the movie are unique. According to Phillips, much of the music is really just dialogue, with Arthur singing when he can’t find the words to express himself. He clarifies, “I just don’t want people to think that it’s like ‘In the Heights,’ where the lady in the bodega starts to sing and they take it out onto the street, and the police are dancing, no disrespect because I loved ‘In the Heights,’”
In addition to the musical numbers, Joker: Folie à Deux will explore prison riots, courtroom drama, and a variety-show sequence featuring Phoenix and Gaga as a murderous version of Sonny & Cher. This sequel promises to take the madness and mayhem of the Joker’s world to new heights.
When asked about a potential Joker 3, Phillips told Variety that while making two movies in this world was fun, he feels they’ve said what they wanted to say. He also responded to rumors about the film’s budget being over $200 million, calling them “absurd.” He added that instead of questioning the cost, people should be glad that the budget allowed them to hire many crew members who can support their families.
Joker: Folie à Deux will premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September and is scheduled to hit theaters on October 4.
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