Warner Bros. has released the highly anticipated first trailer for “Joker: Folie à Deux,” the sequel to the 2019 blockbuster that saw Joaquin Phoenix in his Oscar-winning role as Arthur Fleck. Co-starring Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, the film is set to hit theaters on October 4.
The trailer debuted during the studio’s presentation at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, offering a glimpse into a story centered around “mad people — in love.” The footage shows Phoenix’s Joker performing on stage at a nightclub, with Burt Bacharach’s “What the World Needs Now (Is Love Sweet Love)” playing in the background. Gaga and Phoenix are seen running through the streets of Manhattan and sharing a dream-like dance under the moonlight. The trailer ends with Harley Quinn visiting the Joker in jail, or perhaps at Arkham Asylum.
Todd Phillips returns as director and co-writer for the sequel, which is described as a drama with musical elements, largely set in and around Arkham Asylum. The ensemble cast also includes Catherine Keener, Brendan Gleeson, Jacob Lofland, and Harry Lawtey, with Zazie Beetz reprising her role from the first film.
During the presentation, Phillips joked about the events of the past five years: “It’s been five years since I was here last. Did I miss anything? Just a global pandemic, dual strikes, and an economic downturn… I’m sure it didn’t affect any of you.” He revealed that he had intended to attend CinemaCon in 2020 to thank exhibitors for their support of the first “Joker” film, but the pandemic forced the event to be canceled.
Phillips reflected on the unexpected success of the first film, stating, “When we were making the first movie, Joaquin and I always talked about a sequel because we were having a great time, but we were never really serious. Then when ‘Joker’ became a huge success, we talked about it during the pandemic and decided to do it, and we had a blast making it.”
He also explained the decision to cast Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, calling her “magic.” Phillips noted, “I was a producer on ‘A Star is Born,’ and that was where I realized she has magic in her.” He clarified that while the film is not strictly a musical, music plays an essential role: “The first ways I described Arthur were as weird and aloof and distant, but he has music in him, he has a grace to him. That informed him a lot in the first film. It didn’t seem like that big of a step to what we did here.”
Phillips also hinted that the sequel would push the boundaries further, building on the first film’s themes and societal commentary, reminiscent of Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver.”
“Joker” (2019) became the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, earning $1.08 billion globally. It received 11 Oscar nominations, winning for Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix) and Original Score. The sequel is also rated R for “strong violence, language throughout, some sexuality, and brief full nudity.”
In the context of Warner Bros’ DC universe, “Joker: Folie à Deux” is part of the DC Elseworlds line, separate from the universe being developed by Peter Safran and James Gunn at DC Studios.
