The much-discussed and much-anticipated sequel to Joker now has been given a release date and its title confirmed.
According to Deadline, production on the sequel, which is now formally titled Joker: Folie à Deux, will begin in December, with the movie now booked to hit theaters on October 4 in 2024.
The release date had previously been pencilled for an untitled DC movie, now revealed to be the second coming of Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck.
As previously reported, it is expected that Lady Gaga will star opposite Phoenix in the role of Harley Quinn, the Joker's longtime and volatile love interest, with the sequel to move away from the gritty drama of the original and instead become a musical.
Folie à Deux is a psychiatric term that refers to shared psychosis between two or more individuals due to close proximity, which heavily hints at the potential for a tragic, twisted love story between Phoenix's Joker and Gaga's Harley Quinn.
Todd Phillips, who directed the original, returns, and has co-written the script with Scott Silver.
In Variety's report about the sequel, they indicate that Phoenix will be earning a cool $20 million for reprising his role, with no details on Gaga's pay cheque revealed as yet.
No plot details about the sequel have been revealed as yet, nor has there been any discussion about who will be composing the songs for the musical. Hildur Guðnadóttir won an Oscar for her score for the first movie, but there's no word yet on if she'll be returning or if a more seasoned musical type will be brought in.
Analysis: A big boost for the DC universe?
Joker is a funny movie to categorize in that regard. On the one hand, it's a DC property, a DC character and Warner Bros was overjoyed with the billion dollars it made at the box office. But it seemed like it was always destined to stand alone.
Despite numerous references to the wider world of Batman in Phillips' movie, Joker's setting and style and R-rating made it implausible that you'd suddenly Ben Affleck's Batman suddenly appearing.
The Batman's sequel is in pre-production, and director Matt Reeves has already ruled out the possibility of any crossover with Phoenix's Joker. Largely, that's because Reeves seemingly has his own plans for the character in his own franchise.
When it comes to coherence, DC movies have always lagged behind Marvel's Cinematic Universe, with grand tie-ups like Justice League and Suicide Squad falling flat. In fact, when the characters have been allowed to stand alone, with no join-ups to other tentpoles, is when they've really flourished and Joker is a perfect example of that.
In short, it's unlikely you'll see Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne duetting with Phoenix's Joker in Folie à Deux, as entertaining as that might be.
