Photo credit:  NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 25: Lady Gaga is seen on the set of “Joker: Folie a Deux” on March 25, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

Lady Gaga stars alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Zazie Beetz in Todd Phillips’ follow-up to the 2019 hit movie.

The initial preview for Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to Joker featuring Lady Gaga opposite Joaquin Phoenix, was released today. The teaser depicts Phoenix’s Joker and Gaga’s Harley Quinn crossing paths at Gotham City’s Arkham Asylum. Take a look below, prior to the movie hitting theaters on Friday, October 4, 2024.
Gaga takes on the role of Harley Quinn in the film, with Zazie Beetz from Atlanta reprising her character Sophie Dumond. The cast also includes Catherine Keener, Brendan Gleeson, Ken Leung, and Steve Coogan, among others. Gaga, whose most recent significant role was in Ridley Scott’s 2021 production House of Gucci, unveiled a sneak peek image of her Harley Quinn persona in February of the previous year.

Almost five years after the debut of Joker, the Academy Award-winning DC comics-inspired narrative featuring Joaquin Phoenix, its sequel is finally stepping into the limelight. The first glimpse of Joker 2 premiered on Tuesday at CinemaCon, the trade expo for all things related to theatrical releases, showcasing Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn and snippets of the rumoured new soundtrack for the movie.
Joker 2, formally titled Joker: Folie à Deux, will see the return of familiar faces such as Phoenix as the Joker, formerly known as Arthur Fleck, along with Todd Phillips, who resumes his role as director and writer. In addition to Lady Gaga, the cast includes Catherine Keener (known for Get Out), Ken Leung (from Old), and Brendan Gleeson (featured in Banshees of Inisherin).
During the CinemaCon presentation, Phillips revealed that originally Joker was intended as a standalone movie, but discussions about a sequel emerged during the production of the first film due to the enjoyment of working with the character of Arthur and the Joker. Amidst the pandemic, the idea was revived, leading to the development of the sequel.
Speculations circulating since Gaga’s casting hinted at Joker: Folie à Deux being a full-fledged musical. However, similar to recent trailers for films like Wonka and Mean Girls, the trailer leans heavily into eerie whimsy without showcasing any actual musical performances. Phillips may be keeping some surprises under wraps, a common marketing tactic for contemporary movie musicals, but during CinemaCon, he addressed the speculation regarding the musical elements.
“We’ve never really referred to the movie in that way [as a musical],” he stated. “I prefer to describe it as a film where music plays a crucial role, which isn’t too far from the approach of the first film. When I initially described Arthur, I portrayed him as an odd, solitary individual, but with a musical essence within him.”