It was finally confirmed that a sequel to Todd Phillips' Joker was in the works last month, and we'd soon learn that none other than Lady Gaga was in talks to pay Harley Quinn... and that the movie was being developed as a musical!
This was certainly an unexpected development, but Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) was prone to pretty intricate delusions in the first film (he imagined his entire relationship with his neighbor Sophie Dumond, for example), so the prevailing theory was that these song and dance sequences would play out in Arthur's mind.
While this could still be the direction Folie à Deux goes in, me may now have a slightly better idea of what to expect thanks to a new Variety piece.
According to the trade, the $150 million-budgeted sequel will include "complicated musical sequences - though one insider stresses Joker 2 is more like A Star Is Born than In the Heights." The comparison could be read a few different ways, but it would seem to suggest that the film won't be a burst-into-song at the drop of a hat type deal, and instead feature a handful of musical performances.
Perhaps Arthur and Harley decide to put on a show for the other inmates of Arkham Asylum?
"Folie à Deux" loosely translates to "madness for two," a condition that is generally defined as an identical or similar mental disorder affecting two or more individuals, usually the members of a close family. Details are few and far between, but Gaga obviously won't be playing the same version of Harley Margot Robbie portrayed in Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad.
Joker: Folie à deux is set to hit theaters on October 4, 2024