While comic book movies are everywhere, a few stand out as wholly unique from the rest of the genre. Todd Phillips' Joker (which is streaming with a Max subscription) was definitely in that category, as it wasn't set within a shared universe and offered a new spin on the title character's backstory. The movie was a wild success that earned Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar, and the sequel is one of the most highly anticipated upcoming DC movies. Joker: Folie à Deux's R rating is official, but there's on part about the rating that I'm curious about.
What we know about Joker 2 is fairly limited, as Todd Phillips and company have been keeping their cards close to the chest. But as Joker: Folie à Deux released a new poster and trailer date, the movie's R film rating was confirmed. The official reason is as follows:
Rated R for some strong violence, language throughout, some sexuality, and brief full nudity.
There you have it. The original Joker was also rated R, so the sequel's rating perhaps shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. But I'm super curious about how/why Folie à Deux is going to incorporate nudity.
There are countless questions about Todd Phillips' upcoming sequel, especially after the ending of Joker. The first movie made it unclear how much of what we saw actually happened, as Arthur Peck is an unreliable narrator. And with Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn being brought into the narrative, it feels like just about anything could happen.
It should be fascinating to see how Harleen Quinzel factors into the story of Joker 2. I assume that whatever mystery nudity is going to occur in the movie may be linked to that character. Perhaps Arthur will have another fantasy involving nudity, like his fictional relationship with Zazie Beetz' Sophie in the first movie.
Indeed, fans are debating whether or not Lady Gaga's character will actually become the villainous Harley Quinn during Joker 2, or if it'll be another hallucination/fantasy by Arthur. And since the burgeoning franchise isn't exactly a sexy one, this might explain the use of nudity.
Given the various rumors surrounding the sequel, it's clear that there is definitely fan interest about Folie à Deux. Luckily for moviegoers, the first trailer will arrive shortly on April 9th.
It seems like Phillips and the cast of Joker 2 are taking some bold swings for his second story at Gotham. That includes a number of musical numbers, which definitely is a new concept. It should be fascinating to see the Harley/Joker relationship play out on the big screen, especially given a full movie to explore their dynamic.
Joker: Folie à Deux is expected to hit theaters on October 4th. In the meantime, check out the 2024 movie release dates.
