Joker: Folie à Deux, the potential title of the sequel to 2019's Joker, might not be what we are expecting.
Just a week after the film's director, Todd Phillips teased that the follow-up to the award-winning comedy/drama is officially in the works, some interesting rumors surfaced about the film. In particular, The Hollywood Reporter claims that Joker 2 will be a musical with Lady Gaga set to star as Harlene Quinzel, better known as Harley Quinn.
From the word itself, Folie à Deux is a psychiatric term describing two individuals with a shared psychosis. If we believe the report, the two individuals concerned appear to be Joker and his pumpkin, Harley.
As interesting as this is, it's not final yet. THR added that Joaquin Phoenix still hasn't signed on to come back and his return is still under negotiation. We highly doubt Lady Gaga will join Joker 2 before Phoenix has made his return as Arthur Fleck official.
Nothing about Joker suggested that it was conventional, so we shouldn't expect the sequel to be one either. While a musical definitely isn't up everyone's alley, you could have said the same about Joker before it went on to gross a little over a billion at the global box office. The R-rated film could center around Fleck's full descent into madness as the Clown Prince of Crime as he takes Harley Quinn along for the ride.
If there's one thing Phillips proved with Joker, it's that he's not afraid to experiment and go outside his comfort zone. Phillips also has a history with Lady Gaga after the two worked together in 2018's A Star is Born, which starred Lady Gaga alongside Bradley Cooper. The 2018 musical romantic drama film was a huge critical hit and could provide a template for Todd Phillips' directorial musical debut.
If Joker 2 ends up becoming a musical with Lady Gaga in the lead, we could not think of someone better for the role. Lady Gaga's performance in A Star is Born stood out and she'd fit a dramatic version of Harley Quinn like a glove. Not to mention, Gaga's involvement all but guarantees that the soundtrack will win just as many awards as the film.
Ultimately, the future of the Joker sequel lies at the hands of Phoenix. Until he signs on the dotted line and comes to agreeable terms with Warner Bros, we'll have no choice but to wait.
