WhenJoker: Folie à Deuxwas first announced, it appeared pretty straightforward that the sequel to 2019’s billion-dollar-grossingJokerwould be presenting itself as a movie musical. It was something that confused fans at first, but it also left them with a bit of intrigue. How would director Todd Phillips and his team incorporate the movie musical into their psychological take on the Crown Prince of Crime? Then intrigue turned into some confusion as the film began its marketing campaign because, even though some of these elements are present in the promotion materials, the film isn’t selling itself as a straight musical, and now, in addition to Phillips, starLady Gaga also appears to be distancing herself from calling the sequel an actual musical.
During a press conference for the film, viaDeadline, at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, where the movie is set to premiere, Lady Gaga stepped away from callingJoker: Folie à Deuxa musical. Instead, Gaga insisted that the music is being used more as a replacement for the dialogue when the characters don’t have the words to say what they need to say. The actress said,“It’s very different. The music is a way to give the characters a way to express themselves because the dialogue wasn’t enough.”
Joker: Folie a Deux
Joker: Folie à Deux is the sequel to Todd Phillips' critically acclaimed comic book thriller Joker. Reprising his Academy Award-winning performance as the failed comedian Arthur Fleck, Joaquin Phoenix revisits the iconic DC character alongside Lady Gaga, who makes her debut as Joker’s lover Harley Quinn in this standalone continuity of the DC Universe.
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This isn’t the first time that the team behind the film has stepped away from calling it a straight musical. Despite touting that there are song and dance numbers, Phillips previously said that he struggles withlabeling it a movie musicaland echoed what Gaga said during the Venice Film Festival press conference. The director said,“Most of the music in the movie is really just dialogue. It’s just Arthur not having the words to say what he wants to say, so he sings them instead.“However, Phillips did express that he wasn’t sure how it should be described just yet.
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“I probably shouldn’t do this again.”
“I just don’t want people to think that it’s likeIn the Heights, where the lady in the bodega starts to sing and they take it out onto the street, and the police are dancing. No disrespect, because I loved In the Heights.”
Joker: Folie à Deuxhas been described as a jukebox musical, which uses established songs and hits rather than creating original music. This was famously done by Baz Luhrmann’sMoulin Rouge!, which turned into a bonafide box office hit and went on to earneight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.Joker: Folie à Deuxissaid to include such hits as “That’s Life,” “For Once in My Life,” and “Get Happy,” among others. All said, the film will reportedly include up to fifteen musical numbers.
Set two years after the first film,Joker: Folie à Deuxfinds Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) as a patient at Arkham State Hospital where he meets and falls in love with Harleen “Lee” Quinzel aka Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga), a music therapist at the hospital. Soon, the two find themselves bonded by their shared psychosis and delusions, which could lead to his liberation. The film also stars Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener and Zazie Beetz.
Joker: Folie à Deuxhits screens on Oct. 4.
