The one-man Joker: Folie À Deux promotional machine that is co-writer/director Todd Phillips marches onwards. He used Valentine's Day as an excuse to post some brand new, romantic images of Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck and Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn (or at least a version of her in Phillips' tweaked mythology). Have a scroll through the pics from Phillips' Instagram here:
Though the actual plot line for the movie remains a tightly guarded secret, we do know it'll pick up with Arthur still languishing in Arkham Asylum after the violent, chaotic events of the 2019 film. And that's presumably where he meets Harley, who in usual Batman/Joker lore is his ride-or-die (and partner in crime). Also in the cast for this one is a returning Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond, plus Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener and Jacob Lofland.
Perhaps the biggest element of the sequel (which Phillips wrote once again with Scott Silver) has been speculation that it'll be a musical. Gaga's presence certainly suggests the potential for some singing, but now cinematographer Lawrence Sher, talking on a recent Zoom call, seemed to back away from that notion.
"It’s not a musical per se, it just has music in it, that’s all," Sher said. "Music’s a part of the movie and the characters, but I don’t know if it’s a musical." Could he be trying to downplay the idea, only for the final film be filled with tunes?
We'll learn more when the teaser drops – which, according to Phillips, will be in April – while Joker: Folie À Deux itself arrives in cinemas on 4 October.