Joker: Folie À Deux - A "Feels Like It Was Made By Crazy People" Film (2024)

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Joker: Folie À Deux director Todd Phillips wanted the film to "feel as if it was made by crazy people. Like the inmates are running the asylum."

It seems that Warner Bros. is finally letting us know some details about Joker: Folie À Deuxafter keeping their cards pretty close to the chest. It's still not a lot, but it's more than we knew last week. The second trailer reminds you that you shouldn't trust anything you see on screen. At the end of the first film, we find out this is an example of an unreliable narrator, and this time, we're going into that with that knowledge. An unreliable narrator can be hard to pull off because it can be tough to get people invested if they have no idea whether or not something is actually taking place. We'll have to see how well this film manages to pull it off, but director Todd Phillips explained to Empire that he wanted the entire film to feel like it was made by the asylum inmates.

"I always said, early on, the film should feel as if it was made by crazy people. Like the inmates are running the asylum," notes Phillips. "Itdoes feel like a big swing. You just go, 'Well, f*ck it. Why not? What are we all doing here if not to do that?'"

The first film was initially written as a one-off, but when you make a billion dollars at the box office, walk away with a ton of critical acclaim, and get a couple of golden statues as a bonus, the sequel talks become a thing. However, that doesn't mean Joker: Folie À Deuxwas made like a traditional sequel or a part two. Phillips explained that he doesn't "think of it as a sequel. Hangover 2 was a sequel. So often, a sequel is more of the same, just bigger. Of course [Folie À Deux] is a sequel, but it felt like we were making something entirely different. It's tonally and inherently something way more different. The first one subverted the expectations of what it was. So how do you do that again?" We knew they were swinging for the fences once the word "musical" started getting thrown around, so at least it sounds like this isn't a "safe" sequel. If nothing else, even if this movie ends up falling apart, it sounds like it's going to be interesting above all else. There is nothing worse than a boring, unambitious and "safe" sequel that falls directly on its face. If you're going to fail, fail in a way that is fun to talk about, and if you're going to hit a home run, do it with style.

Joker: Folie À Deux:Summary, Cast List, Release Date

From acclaimed writer/director/producer Todd Phillips comes Joker: Folie À Deux, the much-anticipated follow-up to 2019's Academy Award-winning Joker, which earned more than $1 billion at the global box office and remains the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. The new film starsJoaquin Phoenixonce again in his Oscar-winning dual role as Arthur Fleck/Joker opposite Oscar-winnerLady Gaga(A Star Is Born).

Joker: Folie À Deux finds Arthur Fleck institutionalized at Arkham, awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love but also finds the music that's always been inside him.

The film also stars Oscar nominees Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Catherine Keener (Get Out, Capote), alongside Zazie Beetz, reprising her role from Joker. Phillips, who was nominated for Oscars for directing, writing, and producing Joker, directed Joker: Folie À Deuxfrom a screenplay by fellow Oscar nominee Scott Silver & Phillips, based on characters from DC. The film was produced by Phillips, Oscar nominee Emma Tillinger Koskoff and Joseph Garner. Lady Gaga served as music consultant. The film's executive producers are Michael E. Uslan, Georgia Kacandes, Silver, Mark Friedberg, and Jason Ruder.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents A Joint Effort Production, A Film by Todd Phillips, Joker: Folie À Deux. The film will be released worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, and will be only in theaters nationwide on October 4, 2024, and beginning internationally on 2 October, 2024.