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Here at Vents we love two things: Batman and Joaquin Phoenix. The former has been on the pop-culture hot-plate almost since the moment it sprang from the fertile imaginations of comic book luminaries Bill Finger and Bob Kane back in 1939’s Detective Comics #27. The latter has served as a bellwether for what it means to be a serious actor dedicated to one’s craft. If you had told us several years back that Phoenix – an actor lauded for his heavy work in films such as To Die For, Return to Paradise, Quills, Buffalo Soldiers, The Master, Walk the Line and We Own the Night – would land in the role of Batman’s arch-nemesis the Joker, we might have guffawed and been unintentionally Film Comment-snobby at such a notion. But, stepping back with the benefit of hindsight, it obviously wasn’t as far-fetched as we would have initially believed. Some of the best actors to ever step on a stage and/or in front of a movie camera have essayed the role of the Clown Prince of Crime – Caesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger and Jared Leto have all taken their at-bat (pardon the expression) swing with this challenging role. So it was a delight and a wonderful discovery for all of us when Phoenix teamed up with director Todd Phillips for the surprise box-office smash Joker and we weren’t the only one’s caught flat-footed with Phoenix’s outlandish and striking performance: The Academy Awards also loved the former “Leaf” Phoenix in the film, so much so that they finally awarded him with the Oscar for Best Actor for his work in Joker.
As most of the free-world knows by now, a sequel has been announced for Joker and we all need to let the gravity of that notion weigh on us for a moment or two – Joaquin Phoenix. Is. Doing. A. Sequel. Never in our extensive time on the pop culture circuit did we ever think we’d type those precise combination of words, and frankly we couldn’t be happier.
So here’s what we know about the upcoming Joker sequel (with a big tip of the old Irish hat to our pals over at The Hollywood Reporter): First of all, and maybe more surprising that Phoenix agreeing to suit up again for such an endeavor, it’s been announced that it’s a musical. We have a hunch though that if you’re looking for a Sound of Music-type of affair, you’ll be barking up the wrong tree; this one looks to be as dark as its $ 1 billion dollar-earning predecessor. In keeping in line with the musical aspect of the film, no less of a music icon (and a really good actress in her own right) than Lady Gaga will be co-starring alongside Phoenix in the new chapter. Hot off of her tour de force performance in House of Gucci, this is at the very least quite an intriguing match-up, one we’re all aboard for.
This very non-traditional sequel naturally has a very atypical title – Joker: Folie à Deux and will also feature the acting services of the great Brendan Gleeson (Gangs of New York, 28 Days Later) in an unspecified role. Returning to directing and writing the new film will be Phillips himself.
Finally, we have an officially penciled in release date for Joker: Folie à Deux, something which is not always a given this early in the pre-production of a movie. October 4, 2024 has been designated as the release date for the new film and if you hear some furious scribbling in the background of this article, its only our diligent band of gremlins penciling that date on our ever-busy social calendar!
It’s always nice when two big loves intersect and create fun (and mildly disturbing) commerce: Here’s to our two passions, Joaquin Phoenix and Batman (i.e. the Joker)!
