On the four-year anniversary of his critically (and commercially) acclaimed Joker, director Todd Phillips has broken months of silence regarding the much-anticipated Joker 2 with a visual update.
Similar to his initial reveal that the forthcoming sequel (officially titled Joker: Folie a Deux) was actually happening, the filmmaker behind The Hangover posted a never-before-seen image on Instagram. Along with the following caption:
“Oct. 4. Thanks for all the messages. Four years ago we had quite a ride. Lots of great memories. More to come.”
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Back in April, Todd Phillips confirmed that Joker 2 had completed principal photography, and was finally entering the edit process ahead of its slated 2024 release date.
Hailing the return of Academy Award winner Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck / the titular Joker and Lady Gaga as Dr. Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn, rumour has it, we’re in for a musical. But beyond that yet-to-be-verified tidbit, the question of the story is still something of a question mark.
The film’s title is, however, a major clue.
“Folie à deux” is a French phrase that translates to “madness of two” or “shared psychosis.” It’s also used to describe a “delusion or mental illness shared by two people in close association” in English. This means we’ll most likely witness the canonical descent of Lady Gaga’s smitten psychiatrist in Arkham Asylum.
As clarified by DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran earlier this year, Todd Phillips’ Joker films and Matt Reeves’ The Batman saga led by Robert Pattinson now exist within an independent category known as the “DC Elseworlds.” That’s separate from the main Marvel-style machine comprised of interconnected elements. But where does this leave the latter vis-à-vis Batman and Joker?
Parallel to Phillips’ Joker duology and Reeves’ The Batman saga, Gunn and Safran are currently developing a DCU Batman based on Grant Morrison‘s run of the ongoing mythology, The Brave & The Bold, featuring Batman’s son with Talia al Ghul: Damian Wayne — the lethal protégé raised by the League of Assassins from birth who eventually takes on the mantle of Robin.
Additionally, fans have (at long last) learned the real-life identity of the new Superman. With Henry Cavill now out of the picture, David Corenswet has been tapped to portray the Man of Steel for Superman: Legacy, which will mark the “true beginning of the DCU.”
Corenswet stars opposite Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel), who has nabbed the equally-coveted role of Daily Planet reporter and love interest Lois Lane.
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Back onto the matter of Joker: Folie a Deux, Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga are joined by Brendan Gleeson, Catherin Kenner, Jacob Lofland, plus Harry Lawtey all in undisclosed roles; while Zazie Beetz reprises her role as Sophie Dumond, Arthur’s former neighbour.
Todd Phillips has once again co-written the screenplay alongside Scott Silver with Lawrence Sher and Hildur Guonadottir having returned for the cinematography and music, respectively.
Joker 2 is scheduled to premiere exactly a year from today (October 4th, 2024) — keep an eye out here for further updates and the full-length trailer.
