Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Joker: Folie a Deux’ Trailer Shows A Match Made in Arkham

A new trailer has dropped for the upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux, launching October 3, 2024, showcasing Arthur Fleck’s burgeoning relationship with Harleen Quinzel, better known as Harley Quinn, as well as hinting at the anarchy burning in Gotham City following the events of the first film.

When we heard Joker: Folie à Deux would feature Lady Gaga, it was fair to assume she’d be picking up the role of Harley Quinn, and we figured Gaga would be playing the psychologist, but in writer-director Todd Phillips’ sequel, it seems that Quinn may be a fellow Arkham inmate: an interesting switch up for the character, and one that has us excited to see where the relationship goes.

According to Warner Brothers, Joker: Folie À Deux finds Arthur Fleck “institutionalised at Arkham (Asylum) 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.”

We also see Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin), playing the role of a yet-unnamed Arkham Security Guard, as well as confirmation that Catherine Keener (Get Out) will be joining the film, alongside Zazie Beetz, who reprises her role from Joker as Fleck’s neighbour Sophie.

Perhaps most interestingly, the trailer does seem to hint at there being musical numbers in the film, something sources at The Hollywood Reporter suggested some time ago, which explains bringing in the triple-threat talent of Lady Gaga.

The film comes after Phillips’ Joker was met with universal praise for achieving commercial and critical success. The Warner Bros. sensation based on the DC villain grossed over USD$1 billion and also won two Oscars, including Phoenix-winning best performance by an actor in a leading role.

While the plot has been kept under wraps, Phillips wrote the sequel with Joker co-writer Scott Silver. The title of the sequel could be a big hint at to what the film will explore. Folie a deux is defined as an identical or similar mental disorder that affects two or more individuals. Something to note is that the people affected are usually related or part of the same family.

This leaves a giant door for theories about the film’s plot open for fans to dive right into. Given that the plot of the first film toys with the idea of Joker being the son of Thomas Wayne, the sequel could explore this further. Batman himself might even make an appearance, though he’d be pretty young given the timeline of the first movie.

Joker: Folie à Deux is set to be released in theatres on October 3, 2024.