The Joker is back as production begins for “Joker: Folie à Deux,” filmmaker Todd Phillips has posted the first photo shared in Instagram from the set of “Joker: Folie a Deux” which announced the first day of filming.
The original film followed an aspiring stand-up comedian who worked as a clown and suffered from mental health issues. As times got tough, he began to spiral down the road, leading him to take on the iconic Joker persona. The film grossed $1 billion and garnered the two Oscars, including Phoenix taking home best performance by an actor in a leading role.
This shot indicates star Joaquin Phoenix reprising his role of Arthur Fleck from the 2019 film, with reports indicating this will take place primarily within the walls of Arkham Asylum. In addition, it will essentially be a musical as it unfolds from the perspective of the warped mind of Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga) in what is essentially a reversal of the first film, which unfolded heavily from Fleck’s perspective.
In Batman lore, Quinn was psychiatrist Dr. Harleen Quinzel who worked at the asylum until her mind was warped by the Joker and she became obsessed with him. It’s not clear how much the film will follow that.
Besides Phoenix and Gaga, the film also stars Zazie Beetz, Catherine Keener, Brendan Gleeson, and Jacob Lofland also co-star in the film, which is due to be released in theaters on October 4th 2024.
