Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux is getting classier with every addition to its ensemble cast. Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges, Mr. Mercedes, Paddington 2) is confirmed to be joining Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in the Joker sequel, though the nature of his role is unknown. Production for the anticipated film is expected to kick off in December, with the movie aiming for an October 4, 2024, theatrical release.
Rumors suggest Joker: Folie à Deux will include musical elements, with portions of the story taking place in Gotham’s corrupt prison for the criminally insane, Arkham Asylum. Phoenix will reprise his role as Arthur Fleck, aka Joker, while Lady Gaga will play Dr. Harleen Quinzel, aka Harley Quinn. Zazie Beetz will star as Fleck’s neighbor and love interest Sophie Dumond from the original film. Phillips directs in addition to co-writing the script with Scott Silver.
According to reports, Warner Bros will open their wallets wide for Joker: Folie à Deux. The sequel will require a higher budget than the original, likely due to the musical elements and pay for the project’s major players. Both Phoenix and Phillips will take home $20 million for their participation, with Lady Gaga looking to make $10 million for her role.
“Folie A Deux” refers to “a psychiatric syndrome in which symptoms of a delusional belief, and sometimes hallucinations, are transmitted from one individual to another.” If you know anything about Harley Quinn’s origins, where she was the Joker’s psychiatrist before going insane, this lends itself perfectly to a new origin tale for the character. The Joker movies, which are hard-R, are separate in the DC continuity from the DCEU films or The Batman.
What do you think about Brendan Gleeson joining the cast of Joker: Folie à Deux? Do you think he’ll play an existing Gothamite or someone new? Could Gleeson be Phillips’ Jim Gordon? Will he be the warden of Arkham Asylum? Drop your predictions in the comments section.