While cinematic universes are everywhere, Warner Bros. has also been exploring comic-related stories that aren’t connected to the main DCU. Chief among them is Todd Phillips’ Joker, which was a huge hit and won Joaquin Phoenix a 2020 Academy Award. One of the most anticipated upcoming DC movies is definitely its sequel Joker: Folie à Deux. And the movie’s cinematographer Lawrence Sher recently clarified the use of musical numbers, being quoted saying “it’s not a musical per say.” Let’s break it all down.
What we know about Joker 2 is limited, but the musical aspect of the upcoming flick has definitely helped to buoy excitement. After all, who doesn’t want to see Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn belting it out? But perhaps we should expect less from its musical numbers, as a masterclass by Sher on YouTube offered more context. In his words:
It’s got some music. It’s not a musical per say. But it just has music in it, that’s all. Music is a part of the movie and the characters, but I don’t know if it’s a musical. But there’s a lot of music in the first Joker as well.
Well, now I’m confused. From what we’ve been told, musical numbers were going to be a big part of Joker 2, with set videos revealing one of Lady Gaga’s songs. But Lawrence Sher actually worked on the film, and doesn’t seem to classify Phillips’ sequel as an actual musical. So maybe we shouldn’t expect Mother Monster to belt out too many tunes.
Joker: Folie à Deux reportedly being a musical definitely felt like a departure from the original movie. The 2019 original was a grueling moviegoing experience, with the audience watching Arthur Fleck descend into madness in an unforgiving Gotham City. So having the sequel be chock full of musical numbers felt like a very different movie.
As previously mentioned, the cast list of Joker 2 will be led by Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, as Joker and Harley respectively. Not much is know about what the company has up their sleeves, but the relationship between Mr. J and Harley is expected to begin in Arkham Asylum. The ending of Joker saw Arthur locked up, although there was some doubt about whether the events of the movie actually happened. After all, he proved himself as a very unreliable narrator.
Our long-awaited answers will presumably come with Joker: Folie à Deux, along with a brand new story. Gaga filmed scenes on the now-infamous Joker stairs, and it should be interesting to see how Dr. Harleen Quinzel eventually breaks bad.
Joker 2 is currently expected to arrive in theaters on October 4th. While we not-so-patiently wait for that release, check out the 2024 movie release dates.