Rebecca Rubin Senior Film and Media Reporter The Clown Prince of Crime and his co-conspiratory Harley Quinn want you to know that what the world needs now is… love.
That’s the message of the first trailer for “Joker: Folie à Deux,” which sees Joaquin Phoenix reprise his role as Arthur Fleck (who later becomes Batman’s notorious foe) and conspire with Lady Gaga as the equally twisted Harley Quinn.
Director Todd Phillips debuted the footage at CinemaCon, the annual convention for movie theater owners. Although the original 2019 “Joker” was billed as a “one-off,” Phillips said that he and Phoenix always talked about making a sequel. “We loved the character of Arthur too much, but we didn’t want to jinx the [original] movie,” Phillips said. “We cast Gaga because she’s magic.” The first film served as a dark and gritty origin story for the Joker, a struggling stand-up comedian and part-time clown performer named Arthur Fleck.
Little is known about the sequel, which is reportedly a jukebox musical. Director Todd Phillips told attendees of CinemaCon that categorization isn’t entirely accurate, though song and dance will be featured heavily in the film. “Music is an essential element,” says Phillips. “It doesn’t veer too far from the first film.
Read more on variety.com