
First look at Joaquin Phoenix in ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’
Todd Phillips has announced that filming has officially begun for Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to his 2019 billion-dollar Batman offshoot, Joker. Joaquin Phoenix, who starred as the strangely loveable psychopath in the first movie, will reprise his role in Joker: Folie à Deux, which is slated to arrive in 2024.
As a momentary respite from our thumb-twiddling, director Phillips has shared a first look at Phoenix’s through the Folie à Deux lens. The celebrated filmmaker shared a photo to his Instagram account that shows Phoenix under the blade in his cell, enjoying a close shave as he gazes vacantly toward the ceiling. See below.
Phoenix’s character, Arthur Fleck, is looking rather dishevelled three years on from the events of the first film, with mottled skin and absent mind. We can only assume he will find a way out of his confinement for another crime frenzy, but for confirmation, we will have to wait at least until October 2024.
Phillips’ post was met with a foray of comments from fans asking for a look at the new movie’s other main character, who is played by Lady Gaga, who’s generally expected to be the reimagined equivalent of Harley Quinn. Folie à Deux is a French phrase roughly translated to English as “shared madness by two people in close association,” which alludes to the film following a similar plotline as the comics with the Joker finding a partner in crime.
The sequel will follow the storyline laid out in the first film, with the Joker portrayed as an aspiring stand-up comedian amid worsening mental health concerns. Joker grabbed critical and commercial attention upon its 2019 release, eventually winning two Oscars for Best Original Score and for Phoenix as Best Actor. The first Joker retains the record as the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever, with $1.07 billion at the global box office.
See the first glimpse of Joaquin Phoenix’s reprised character below.

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