Joaquin Phoenix gets his Joker smile from Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn in hallucinatory “Joker: Folie à Deux” trailer
Warner Bros. dropped the first trailer out of Cinemacon in Las Vegas.
Joaquin Phoenix's life as the Joker has gone from tragedy to a "f---ing comedy" and, finally, into a full-blown musical fantasy opposite Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn in the first trailer for Joker: Folie à Deux.
Warner Bros. dropped the first preview Tuesday out of the studio's Cinemacon presentation in Las Vegas, and the preview (below) teases a bonkers, musically tinged journey into the central couple's hallucinatory love affair.
The trailer begins with Arthur Fleck (Phoenix, who evolves into the Gotham City menace) in a cell at Arkham Asylum, where he spots a fellow patient, Harleen Quinzel (Gaga), walking through the halls. She later spots him through a door while she's singing with a group by a piano. They appear to form a bond — strong enough that Harleen coaxes Arthur to break out of their confinement.
"I haven't done anything in my life like you have," Gaga-as-Harley tells Phoenix's infamous character in the footage before holding her hand to her head as if it's a gun. "Let's get out of here."
Soundtracked by a cover of "What the World Needs Now Is Love," subsequent footage shows the couple dancing under the moonlight (while the former wears his signature clown makeup), glistening stage lights that spell out the title of a (potentially imagined) variety show called Joker & Harley, Gaga ascending the stairs of a courthouse while hordes of protestors shout at her, explosions, and a particularly haunting shot of Harley drawing the Joker's signature bright red lips over a panel of glass separating her from the Joker.
Warner Bros.
Last week, Warner Bros. released a clip featuring an official preview of Gaga's voice as Harley Quinn, which starkly contrasted other actresses' interpretations of the character in both TV and film projects. The villainous character is typically portrayed with a Brooklyn accent, notably by Batman: The Animated Series voice actress Arleen Sorkin. Sorkin originated the character for her official DC debut in the TV show as Joker's love interest before Harley formally jumped to the comic book universe in 1999. Margot Robbie continued the trend with her bold interpretation in the DC Extended Universe's live-action projects like the Suicide Squad films and Birds of Prey, while Kaley Cuoco also voiced Harley with an accent in the Max animated series Harley Quinn.
"I actually haven’t spoken to her about it," Robbie told Variety of passing the baton to Gaga at the 2024 Golden Globes. "I almost don’t want to know so I can save it for the surprise when I get to see the movie."
Most of Phillips' collaborators returned to work on the second Joker film, including actress Zazie Beetz, cinematographer Lawrence Sher, composer Hildur Guenadóttir, and producer Bradley Cooper, who also directed and starred in A Star Is Born opposite Gaga in 2018.
Warner Bros.
Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix in 'Joker: Folie à Deux'The first Joker movie enjoyed widespread commercial and critical success, grossing over $1 billion at the global box office and earning 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Phoenix won his first Academy Award for playing the titular role, and his performance in the sequel — as well as Gaga's — is already earning awards buzz before the film's likely debut on the fall festival circuit later this year.
Warner Bros. will release Joker: Folie à Deux — also starring Brendan Gleeson and Catherine Keener — in theaters on Oct. 4.
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