Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga go on trial in preview of 'Joker: Folie à Deux'

Warner Bros. continues to prepare the audience for the release of the sequel Joker: Madness for Two, which hits theaters in October of this year.

The new installment features the return of Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck/Joker, and the debut of Lady Gaga like Harley Quinn, who in this Joker-verse of Todd Phillipsto its incarnation of the popular character is known as Lee.

It is the co-stars whom we see in a new official image, in which they are seated in what appears to be a courtroom, probably in a trial against Arthur, for the violent events of the climax of the Joker original in which he murdered the television presenter played by Robert DeNiro.

You will find the image at the end of this note.

Phillips returns as director and co-writer alongside Scott Silver.

Previously, Phillips said that Joker: Madness for Two It's not a traditional sequel:

“I don't consider it a sequel. Very often a sequel is more of the same, just bigger. Of course, [Folie À Deux] It's a sequel, but it felt like we were doing something completely different. It's tonally and inherently something much more different.”

In addition to Phoenix and Gaga, the main cast includes Zazie Beetz reprising her role as Sophie Dumond, with the new additions of Catherine Keener (Get Out, The 40 Year Old Virgin), Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges, Harry Potter), Jacob Lofland (Mud), y Harry Lawtey (Industry).

While awaiting details of the premise, it is known that the sequel It will have musical elements and is set in Arkham Asylum.which is where the first film ends after Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) was sent there. The acclaimed JOKER (2019) by Phillips, follows Arthur Fleck and his journey to become the clown of crime, serving as the origin story of the iconic villain, developing its plot in Gotham City in the 80s.

Joker 2 will have its world premiere at the 2024 Venice Film Festival. The original Joker premiered at the same Venice Lido in 2019, winning the Golden Lion. The festival will run from August 28 to September 7.

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) awarded Joker 2 the R rating by:

“Some strong violence, constant language, some sexuality and brief total nudity.”

This is the same rating as the original film, Joker (2019), although for different reasons: “strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, brief sexual language and images.”

SOME DATA:

• The literal translation of Folie à Deux is in English Madness for Two, and in Spanish Madness for twoBut it's also a term for “shared psychosis” or “shared delusional disorder,” which fits like a glove in direct reference to Joker and Quinn.
• Joker is known for his on-and-off abusive relationship with Harley Quinn, his psychiatrist at the Arkham Asylum mental institution, who falls in love with him and becomes his partner in crime.
• This is one of the few projects that has not undergone changes, cancellations or modifications after the merger of Warner Bros. Discovery (details here).
• Crazy for Two will exist outside the DCU which is being worked on by James Gunn and Peter Safran, the co-presidents of DC Studios.

Joker: Madness for Two will be released in theaters on October 4, 2024.

Image (via GreatMagazines):