As expected, Joaquin Phoenix is back to evolve the images of the “Joker” characters. This time it is even more surprising – it is a musical. After the overwhelming success of “Joker” 2019 that bagged Phoenix his first Academy Award, the actor will be returning for a sequel titled Joker: Folie à Deux but this particular twist few would ever have anticipated.
In an interview, Phoenix stated that the intention of making it a musical came to him while he was dreaming about the sequel. “I woke up with a kind of certainty that Arthur Fleck the Joker had to have a different way of going crazy – by using music,” Phoenix said. “It was one of those ideas that would not go away and when I told Todd [Phillips, director] it made sense.”
Joker: Folie à Deux will show Phoenix’s character also empowering his character’s madness by additional levels of song and dance. With Lady Gaga starring as Harley Quinn, the film which will also be featuring the songstress has already generated attention for having a musical context; a sharp contrast to the very violent and serious ‘first’ Joker.
Some fans may have their doubts, while some others dare to take the risk and look forward to the project. Despite the fact that she has performed acting and music, she still drives more excitement in the project. Probably, her chemistry with Phoenix will determine how successful the film is going to be in integrating the different elements of the psychological thriller and the music.
The sequel promises once more to return the Joker beyond the previous limits and look into new details of Arthur Fleck’s and Harley Quinn’s personalities. Scheduling a 2024 release, Joker: Folie à Deux is already a great deal of the most awaited movies of the year, arousing discussions whether this audacious novel approach will change the meaning of a superhero movie – or, rather, a supervillain movie once again.
As usual, Phoenix is prepared to ensure that the audience does not rest easy.
