Lady Gaga is set to lend her voice to Joker 2’s musical tone and a new ad for the film shows that another Batman character will make an appearance.
Todd Phillip’s anticipated follow-up to the massive hit Joker is set to hit screens in about a month. The side-film origin story that told a different interpretation of the popular Batman villain was the former highest-grossing R-rated film until this year’s Deadpool & Wolverine overtook it for the number-one spot. Perhaps Joker: Folie à Deux can offer up some new competition? The sequel not only explores Arthur Fleck’s blossoming romance with Harley Quinn, who is portrayed by Lady Gaga, but the upcoming film also sports a musical twist.
While the first film kept the Batman ties close by including the Wayne family, this new film expands to more characters of the universe as the official social media account of Joker: Folie à Deux has unveiled a new ad for the movie that features an appearance by Gotham District Attorney Harvey Dent. Obviously, fans know him by his Batman villain alias, Two-Face, but it will remain to be seen if the film decides to flesh out that specific fate for him. In the meantime, get a peek at Harry Lawtey (known for HBO and BBC Two’s acclaimed series Industry) as he portrays Dent in the new commercial.
Additionally, Warner Bros. has also released a new clip of our two main characters getting to know each other as Harley reveals to Arthur that his appearance on The Murray Franklin Show from the first movie gave her a sense of belonging. We, then, get a tease of some music as Harley starts to serenade Arthur in a quiet manner before being shushed by guards.
Although Arthur and Harley frequently break into songs such as Get Happy, For Once in My Life, and That’s Life, Phillips isn’t totally sold on labelling the sequel as a full-blown musical. “Most of the music in the movie is really just dialogue,” Phillips said. “It’s just Arthur not having the words to say what he wants to say, so he sings them instead.” Phillips added, “I just don’t want people to think that it’s like ‘In the Heights,’ where the lady in the bodega starts to sing and they take it out onto the street, and the police are dancing. No disrespect, because I loved ‘In the Heights.’“
In addition to Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, Joker: Folie À Deux also stars Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland, and Harry Lawtey. Zazie Beetz also returns to reprise her role as Sophie Dumond from the first movie, a love interest for Arthur. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but it’s been said that much of the sequel will take place within Arkham Asylum, which is where we left Arthur in the last film. Joker: Folie à Deux will hit theaters on October 4th.