Last week, we reported that a Joker sequel was all but confirmed by director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix when the pair took to social media to reveal its official title, Joker: Folie à Deux.
The title alone gave us plenty to speculate on in terms of the film’s story, however, we never could have predicted this twist: according to an exclusive from The Hollywood Reporter (opens in new tab), Joker: Folie à Deux may actually 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 close proximity. With this news, we seemingly have confirmation that the individuals in question will be Joker and Harley.
Of course, nothing is set in stone – THR says that Phoenix is still reportedly deep in negotiations on the film, and has yet to close a deal.
Why a musical makes sense for Joker
While this may not be the direction fans were hoping Joker 2 would go in, it does strike us as an inspired approach from Phillips and co-writer Scott Silver, who never wanted to take an obvious route with a potential sequel.
In fact, we’d argue that the prospect of this Joker breaking into song feels like the next logical step for the character, who often expressed himself through dance in the first film – who could forget the haunting quasi-pirouettes that came after Arthur’s first murders, or the utter jubilation of his staircase dance following his total transformation into Joker?
And while Phillips has never directed a musical before, the first Joker film already proved he can successfully operate outside of his comedic comfort zone. It also wouldn’t be entirely outside of his wheelhouse – before Joker, Todd Phillips and Bradley Cooper’s production company scored a huge 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 would seem completely out of place opposite Phoenix’s interpretation. Gaga’s involvement would also guarantee a soundtrack full of bangers, which is essential for any musical.
That said, all of this will depend on whether Phoenix reaches an agreement with Warner Bros. and officially signs on to the project. Until then, we simply have to wait and see how everything plays out.
