Filming began on the Joker sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, back in December. Now, we have our first real look at the movie thanks to a surprise Valentine’s Day post from director Todd Phillips featuring our very first look at Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn.
Phillips keeps the post simple, with the photo of the pair and the text “Happy Valentines Day.” There’s not a whole lot to go off of here, with the shot being so close to the legendary couple, but it suggests a passionate relationship between the two, just as we’d expect.
Joker hit theaters in 2019 and quickly became the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time–a seat it still holds more than 3 years later–by a significant margin. The Clown Prince of Crime raked in $1.07 billion at the worldwide box office, followed by Deadpool 2 and Deadpool at $786 and $782 million respectively. Phillips’ unique take on the character was also nominated for 11 Academy Awards, winning two of those. Joaquin Phoenix won for Best Actor, while Hildur Guðnadóttir took him a little golden statue for Original Music Score.
Phoenix returns to once again star in the sequel, and Phillips has returned to both write and direct. Alongside Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn, there are currently-unconfirmed reports of Zazie Beetz, Catherine Keener, Harry Lawtey, and Jacob Lofland joining the cast as well.
The film’s title already feels like a solid fit for the characters. The term ‘folie à deux,’ or ‘folly of two’ is a french term that refers to a condition of shared psychosis or shared delusional disorder. Applying real-world medical terms to fictional characters can be rocky, but if ever there was a term to describe Joker and Harley Quinn, this sure seems like it.
Joker: Folie à Deux is currently scheduled to hit theaters on Oct. 4, 2024, among a huge slate of upcoming DC films. Make sure to check out our ongoing coverage of the current and upcoming DC movies, including new Superman and Supergirl films, a Batman movie inspired by the Brave and the Bold comics, and of course Matt Reeves’ Batman 2, which may feature its own Joker.
