It was one of the more chilling performances that’s been put to the big screen, a role that saw Joaquin Phoenix transform himself into a character that was nearly unrecognisable even before the face-paint came to colour his features. With his gaunt physique and expressive moments, not the mention the kind of high-pitched laugh that could freeze the blood in your veins, Joaquin Phoenix gave us all a Joker that would go down as one of the greatest in history. The success of Todd Phillips’ film was instant and not surprisingly, fans have been clambering for a sequel ever since they left the cinema upon first viewing. Now, the director has confirmed that a sequel is in the works, with a completed screenplay that saw Phillips join forces with writing partner Scott Silver.
Phillips had been rather coy in discussions about a sequel in the past. Previously, he said “When a movie does $1 billion and costs $60 million to make, of course it comes up. But Joaquin and I haven’t really decided on it. We’re open. I mean, I’d love to work with him on anything, quite frankly. So who knows?”
He also added, “It would have to have a real thematic resonance the way this one did, ultimately being about childhood trauma and the lack of love, and the loss of empathy. All those things are really what made this movie work for us, so we’d have to have something that had an equal thematic resonance.”
News of the upcoming sequel has been trickling in slowly, but already there’s enough good news coming out of the project to have fans eagerly anticipating its release. For starters, Joaquin Phoenix will be reprising his iconic role, while Lady Gaga has also been named as a star in early negotiations to portray Harley Quinn.
The latter might seem an odd choice, but the sequel is being touted as a musical. According to Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter, “Details on her character are being kept under wraps, but Joker is known for his on-off abusive relationship with Harley Quinn – his psychiatrist at the mental institution known as Arkham Asylum who falls in love with him and becomes his sidekick and partner in crime.”
Kit adds, “It is unclear whether Todd Phillips and company are using other DC characters or striking on their own, as they did in many instances with their first movie. If a deal makes, Lady Gaga would play Harley Quinn. However, this new Quinn exists in a different DC universe than the Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, which most recently appeared in 2021’s The Suicide Squad as well as several other films.”
Should Gaga land the role, it will mark the second time she’s worked with Todd Phillips, after the pair first joined forces on 2018’s A Star Is Born. Gaga not only starred in the film, but also won an Oscar for best song, while Phillips served as producer.
The sequel is being called “Joker: Folie a deux” which is a French phrase that translates to “madness of two” or “shared psychosis.” Given the intrigue surrounding the character of Harley Quinn, it seems fitting that such a title should be used, particularly as the phrase also describes a delusion or mental illness shared by two people in close association.
While the film is some time away from arriving in cinemas, that hasn’t stopped Phillips from delighting fans with a first glimpse at Joaquin Phoenix as he reprises the role of the supervillain. With filming official underway, the director marked the occasion by posting a photo of Phoenix from set, as he was in character as the comic book villain. “Day 1. Our boy,” wrote Phillips.
