First ‘Joker 2’ Image Released as Sequel Begins Filming

Joker: Folie À Deux, the sequel to 2019's Joker, has started filming today. Todd Phillips, on his official Instagram, posted a picture of Joaquin Phoenix, who plays the titular character with two simple sentences: "Day 1. Our boy. #joker." People have been waiting for this sequel since it was announced, and now people won't have to wait too long before they partake in the onscreen folie à deux.

The term "folie à deux" means "a madness shared by two," which is fitting for this film, as it stars both Phoenix as Arthur Fleck (a.k.a. The Joker) and Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, Fleck psychiatrist-turned-partner in crime. While we don't know much about the plot details yet, Joker 2 will take place at Arkham Asylum. This would be keeping with similar plot lines for Harley Quinn and the Joker, as she first met him while treating him at Arkham and fell in love with him. A mad, and bad, kind of romance, one could say.

Another interesting aspect about this film is that it will be a musical, which is definitely different in tone from the first movie, as Joker had a dark, gritty, and almost realistic kind of tone, being that it hits upon the various ills of society. Also, being that Gaga is a well-known singer and actor herself, having won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for the movie A Star Is Born, she is the perfect choice for starring alongside Phoenix in this movie. People shouldn't discount Phoenix's musical and singing chops either, as he starred as Johnny Cash, "The Man in Black," in 2005's Walk The Line, which earned him an Academy Award nomination.

Phoenix's first foray into the character of the mad clown was first premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2019, and received an eight-minuted standing ovation. It was later released on October 4, 2019, in the United States, where it was widely praised by critics, grossed over $1 billion, and was nominated for 11 Academy Awards at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards, where Phoenix won Best Actor. We look forward to seeing what the latest foray into Joker will bring.

Joker: Folie À Deux will be released in theaters on October 4, 2024.