In Joker: Folie À Deux, we are told that Arthur Fleck's (Joaquin Phoenix) murderous rampage in the first film was the basis for a TV movie. Lee (Lady Gaga) tells Arthur that she loves the movie and has seen it numerous times, but everyone else seems to think it's "awful."
Somewhat disappointingly, we never actually see any footage from this in-universe Joker movie during the sequel, but director Todd Phillips has now confirmed that he was planning to shoot a trailer - with Justin Theroux (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) taking on the role of Arthur Fleck.
"I talked to Justin about it," Phillips tells IGN. "We were going to shoot a trailer at one point. We just ran out of time. Yes, 'Ethan Chase,' the actor from the first movie."
Just in case you're not sure what Phillips is referencing here, Theroux played an actor named Ethan Chase who appears on the Murray Franklin Show while Arthur and his mother are watching in the original Joker.
Having Chase play Arthur in this TV movie would have been a nice touch, so it's a shame Phillips never got the chance to shoot that trailer.
In the same interview, Phillips was asked about Fleck defending himself in court while wearing the Joker makeup, and why he didn't complete the look with some green hair-dye.
"It was a practical thing. And quite frankly, Joaquin and I kind of liked the look of him in a regular suit just with the makeup and not the hair. You can look it up, but believe it or not, people can represent themselves. It can happen. It's famously been done. I mean, Ted Bundy ended up representing himself. It's been done. Arthur just thought it seemed like a cool thing to do, but they would not let you dye your hair. Meaning because the prison wouldn't allow him to have that."
From acclaimed writer/director/producer Todd Phillips comes Joker: Folie À Deux, the much-anticipated follow-up to 2019’s Academy Award-winning Joker, which earned more than $1 billion at the global box office and remains the (second) highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.
The new film stars Joaquin Phoenix once again in his Oscar-winning dual role as Arthur Fleck/Joker, opposite Oscar winner Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born). The film also stars Oscar nominees Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Catherine Keener (Get Out, Capote), alongside Zazie Beetz, reprising her role from Joker.
The movie is rated R for “some strong violence, language throughout, some sexuality, and brief full nudity.”
Do you plan on seeing the Joker sequel in theaters, or have the reviews put you off? Let us know in the comments section down below.