"Joker: Folie á Deux" is going to be laughing its way into theaters in 2024.
The sequel to Todd Phillips’ smash hit will feature Joaquin Phoenix, of course, in the title role, joined this time by none other than Lady Gaga. Joker: Folie á Deux is now set for an October 4, 2024 release date, which means it’ll bow on the five-year anniversary of the original film.
The specifics surrounding Joker: Folie á Deux are wild. Not only will Lady Gaga be on board as Joker’s main squeeze Harley Quinn, but the film is set to be a musical. It’s a decidedly novel way to go following the mega success of the original Joker, but it’s in keeping with the entire offbeat vibe of what has become a new franchise for the DCEU. The original Joker was a comic book movie without a superhero, with a pitch black storyline, and a ferocious Phoenix in the central role of a mentally unhinged failed comic Arthur Fleck, whose delusions devour him as he becomes a killer, inspiring millions of forgotten and downtrodden Gothamites to take to the streets in his name.
This major news comes on the heels of other, less happy news, the canceling of Batgirl, which was set to be released in theaters and on HBO Max. "Joker: Folie á Deux" is now one of the biggest and most important films on the DCEU slate. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom arrives on March 17, 2023, with Jason Momoa returning and, as was recently revealed, Ben Affleck reprising the role of Batman for the movie. After that, director Andy Muschietti’s The Flash is set to premiere on June 23, 2023, with Michael Keaton returning as Batman and Ezra Miller (in the headlines lately for all the wrong reasons) reprising his role as Barry Gordon/The Flash.
A recent bright spot for the DCEU was Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which was a critical and commercial success, and has already been greenlit for a sequel. Joker itself was a commercial and critical hit, garnering 11 Oscar nominations and grossing more than $1 billion at the global box office. Phoenix himself nabbed an Oscar.