Joker: Folie À Deux will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 4, and it sounds like director Todd Phillips may have delivered an even darker sequel to his notoriously bleak 2019 film.
Despite going on to become a huge hit (Deadpool and Wolverine only recently surpassed it as the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time), the first Joker proved to be polarizing when it screened at Venice a few years ago, with some going so far as to express concern that the film might actually incite violence or some kind of incel uprising.
This was utter nonsense, of course, but Joker was a pretty grim, at times disturbing watch all the same - especially for a major studio "superhero" project.
Festival director Alberto Barbera indicated that audiences might be in for an even rougher time with Folie À Deux during a recent interview.
"If you expect just a second part of the previous one, exactly the same kind of narrative and situation and so on, you are wrong, because the theme is much darker," he told Vanity Fair in a recent interview. "It is much more inventive from every point of view. It's completely unexpected. I think it is very bold, and brave, and creative, and an incredibly original film."
According to MMT's Erick Weber, Phillips' sequel is indeed "even darker" than its predecessor. He has also heard that it should be a shoo-in for a Best Picture Oscar nomination (he elaborates here).
The first trailer didn't really suggest that this movie will be any more violent or shocking than the original, but something tells us those song and dance sequences will be accompanied by some pretty extreme moments.
How much darker could Joker 2 get? Be sure to check back next week for the first social media reactions.
“Joker: Folie À Deux finds Arthur Fleck institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that's always been inside him."
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.