There is madness in the world of Todd Phillips’ Joker, but there also seems to be a method in it. The more mature realization of DC’s clown prince of crime will try to live up to that standard yet again, as what we know about Joker: Folie à Deux is that it’s set to finally wow the world later on in the 2024 movie schedule. And now that we’ve seen our first look at this dazzling dance between Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga.
As Warner Bros. showed off “The Big Picture” at this year’s CinemaCon, the first public look at Joker 2 footage has been unfurled to the world. While we got a sneak peek earlier today through a moment where Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck looked like he was about to break into song, this full look has a lot more musical excitement to offer.
In fact, dare I say this change-up in format could be more exciting than I'd thought. I'll admit it: I was not a fan of 2019's Joker. But with a musical approach and Lady Gaga along for the ride, I'm seriously rethinking things after seeing this trailer. While we're at it, we obviously need to discuss Lady Gaga’s portrayal of Harleen Quinzel, better known as Harley Quinn.
That much is prevalent for two big reasons: first, this is Gaga stepping into the world of DC Comics, and in her first big screen role since 2021’s House of Gucci. But also there’s been some debate as to how her interpretation of Harley would pan out thanks to leaked audio of Lady Gaga’s performance. Looking at this trailer, there are more questions than answers on that front, as Gaga's Harley appears to be a fellow inmate at Arkham rather than an attending physician intrigued by The Joker's case.
While Joker: Folie à Deux has shown off the second coming of Arthur, it’s also given us a look at its musical mayhem. There were certainly questions about how this DC sequel earned its R-rating, especially the brief full nudity. I'm still curious where that'll come into play, because I highly doubt it's going to be one of the musical numbers.
However, my inner cynic is rather overcome by the fact that the musical numbers, as well as the film in general, seems to be filmed lovingly for IMAX 70mm. If there's anything else that'll draw me to this lavish musical of mayhem and merriment, it's that. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go tell everyone that this movie has changed its name to Ha Ha Land.
Friends, the envelope is open, and the madness has begun. Is Joker: Folie à Deux going to be a beautifully bonkers sequel? Or has this format smashing follow-up pushed the joke a bit too far? That will probably be the debate of the moment, as we wait for Arthur and Harley to dance into theaters, with a song in their hearts, on October 4th. While you wait, you can easily slip back into the retro grime of Gotham City, thanks to the power of a Max subscription allowing you to revisit 2019’s Joker through the world of streaming.
