Tomorrow with mark the four-year anniversary since Joker was released and the start of the one-year countdown to Joker: Folie à Deux's debut in theaters.
To mark the occasion, filmmaker Todd Phillips has taken to Instagram to share a new look at Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck in Gotham City. It really doesn't reveal much beyond that, unfortunately, but the director does appear to be teasing more coming from the DC Comics adaptation soon.
Could a trailer be on the way? It's certainly not outside the realm of possibility, especially when Warner Bros. Discovery will likely want to start building hype for the sequel as soon as possible in an effort to replicate its predecessor's $1 billion box office success.
A sneak peek may well be attached to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, though we can't discount the possibility that something is going to be released tomorrow to mark that October 4 date. In the meantime, this is an effective enough tease for a movie we anticipate being something really special.
We've previously heard that the sequel will take place primarily in Arkham Asylum, with Fleck meeting a kindred spirit in fellow patient Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga). That's a departure from the comic books, but we're not exactly surprised considering the fact 2019's Joker was very much an Elseworlds story as well.
However, with set photos showing both Arthur and Harley on the loose in Gotham City, we're guessing there will come a point where they're freed to wreak havoc.
It's going to be interesting to find out where Phillips plans on taking this franchise. Bruce Wayne's parents were gunned down by a man dressed like a clown, and the stage was set for him to also go off the deep end and become a "Batman" eager to take his revenge on Fleck.
We're guessing it's still a little too soon for that, but have no doubt Joker: Folie à Deux will have some surprises in store for us. As the only DC movie being released in 2024, expectations are high and Warner Bros. is surely banking on this being a huge critical and commercial hit that helps usher in DC Studios' new era of storytelling with the DCU and future "Elseworlds" tales like The Batman II.
Joker: Folie à Deux is set to be released in theaters on October 4, 2024, exactly five years after Joker debuted.