Last week, we reported that a Joker sequel was all but confirmed by director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix when the duo took to social media to reveal their official title, Joker: Folie à Deux..
The title alone gave us a lot to speculate about the film’s story, however, we could never have predicted this twist: according to an exclusive from The Hollywood Reporter (opens in new tab)Joker: Folie à Deux may indeed be a musical, with Lady Gaga in talks to star as Harley Quinn opposite Phoenix’s Joker.
As we discussed in our previous article, Folie à Deux is a psychiatric term that refers to shared psychosis between two or more individuals due to proximity. With this news, we apparently have confirmation that the individuals in question will be Joker and Harley.
Of course, nothing is set in stone – THR says Phoenix is still in talks over the film, and hasn’t closed a deal yet.
Why a musical makes sense to the Joker
While this might not be the direction fans expected Joker 2 to go, it strikes us as an inspired approach by Phillips and co-writer Scott Silver, who never wanted to go an obvious path with a potential sequel.
In fact, we’d argue that the prospect of this Joker starting to sing seems like the logical next step for the character, who often expressed himself through dancing in the first film – who could forget about the creepy near pirouettes that came after Arthur’s first film. murders, or the total jubilation of his ladder dance after his full Joker transformation?
And while Phillips has never directed a musical before, the first Joker movie has already proven that he can successfully operate outside his comic comfort zone. It wouldn’t be entirely out of its wheelhouse either – before Joker producer Todd Phillips and Bradley Cooper scored a major critical and commercial win with A Star Is Born, which marked their first collaboration with Lady Gaga.
We also couldn’t think of a better choice to play this more dramatic version of Harley Quinn than Lady Gaga. While Margot Robbie has obviously left an indelible mark on the character, her version of Harley exists in a universe where Jared Leto plays an entirely different Joker, and it seems completely out of place in Phoenix’s portrayal. Gaga’s involvement would also ensure a soundtrack full of bangers, essential for any musical.
That said, all of this will depend on whether Phoenix reaches a deal with Warner Bros. and officially sign the project. Until then, we simply have to wait and see how it all plays out.