Todd Phillips on 'Joker: Folie à Deux': “It feels like a big change”

In October of this year we will have the premiere in theaters of the sequel Joker: Madness for Two, with 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.

In an interview with Empire Magazine, Phoenix, who won the Oscar for best actor for his performance in the first film, Joker (2019), explained about the risks that were taken for the sequel, such as including musical elements:

“It's the only way I can make a movie. If it doesn't look like it's going to be dangerous, if there's not a good chance you're going to fail spectacularly then… what's the point?”

Phillips joins the conversation:

“That was literally the reason for doing it. The only reason Joaquin would do a sequel is if it scared him. One thing that really excited him in the first movie was that fear, every day, that nauseating fear of saying, ‘What the fuck are we doing? ’ He didn’t want it to be easy. And he wanted to feel just as scared with this one. He says, ‘Well, if I’m going to do it, I just want to feel like it couldn’t work. ’”

Para Phillips, Joker: Madness for Two This is not a traditional sequel:

“I don't consider it a sequel. Hangover 2 It was a sequel. Very often a sequel is more of the same, only 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. The first one subverted expectations of what it was. So how do you do that again?

“I always said, from the beginning, that the film should feel like it was made by crazy people. As if the inmates were running the asylum. It feels like a big change.. You just say, 'Well, fuck it.' Why not? What are we all doing here except doing that?'”

At the end of this note you will find exclusive images from Empire Magazine, whose most recent issue dedicates the cover to Joker 2.

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

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 Cinematographic Association (MPA; Motion Picture Association) awarded to 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).
• Madness 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.