Is Joker: Folie à Deux actually a musical? Director Todd Phillips weighs in on the controversial genre of the upcoming DC sequel.
Many fans were turned off when it was announced that Joker: Folie à Deux was seemingly set to be a musical. While Lady Gaga is a tour de force, it’s a genre that turns a lot of audience members away just at its mere mention. However, according to the film’s director Todd Phillips, he never discussed making the sequel a full musical.
“We never really talked about it like that, but I like to say it’s a film where music is an essential element.” Phillips explained at Cinemacon. “To me, that doesn’t veer too far from the first film. Arthur [Fleck]’s weird and aloof and all these things, but he has music in him. He has a grace to him. That informed a lot of the dancing in the first film. It didn’t feel like that big of a step here. It’s different, but I think it’ll make sense when you see it.”
While Todd Phillips may have not considered Joker: Folie à Deux a musical during production, it’s hard to argue against the sequel at least being musical-esque. The project stars one of the biggest singers on the planet as Harley Quinn and is set to feature at least 15 songs. So regardless of its actual genre, it’s certain to be something DC fans have never seen before.
Lady Gaga Steals The Show As Harley Quinn
The internet was shocked when it was announced Lady Gaga would be playing Harley Quinn in Joker: Folie à Deux. Even those who don’t like her music were curious at what her performance would look like. When asked the singer in the sequel, Todd Phillips said it was a “no-brainer”.
“We cast Lady Gaga because she’s magic.” Phillips explained. “I was a producer on A Star Is Born. That was the first time I really met her and got to watch her work. As we were writing this script, Scott [Silver], who I wrote it with, kept going back to her.”
Even ignoring the musical elements of Joker: Folie à Deux, Lady Gaga does seem to be the perfect match to play Harley Quinn. Her eccentric personality and outfits mimic that of DC’s biggest female anti-hero. From the sounds of it, she may end up having a bigger influence on the sequel’s direction than Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker!
Joker: Folie à Deux is set to hit theaters on October 4, 2024. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the sequel and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
Source: ComicBookMovie.com