Get the jokers ready. The announcement that Todd Phillips’ 2019 picture, Joker, would be getting a sequel in early June stunned the world, especially when it was revealed that the sequel would be a musical starring Lady Gaga as fan-favourite character Harley Quinn. Lawrence Sher, the cinematographer for both the original and the sequel, has stated that production will begin on the picture within the next five to six weeks, making this the most recent news on the show.
The Hollywood Reporter’s “Behind the Screen” podcast recently featured Sher, the director of photography on the recently released DC blockbuster Black Adam starring Dwayne Johnson. Sher discussed his next project, the widely anticipated Joker follow-up, in the podcast discussion, which focused primarily on the recently released film and the post-credit scene. The filming, which Sher said would begin in “five or six weeks,” will take place primarily in Los Angeles sound stages and on location in New York. It would mean principal photography on the picture would begin in late November or early December. He also discussed Lady Gaga’s part in the film. Sher thinks she will be a perfect addition to the film and that she will provide the same sort of enchantment that Joaquin did. The two together will be precisely what we wish for, which is thrilling, and we’ll discover magic every day on set. The inclusion of insanity is also desired. “We enjoy a touch of turmoil now and then.”
While most plot points have been kept under wraps, we do know that the musical sequel will centre on the connection between Phoenix’s Joker and Gaga’s Harley Quinn and that the film will pick off with Joker in Arkham Asylum following the riot he sparked at the end of the first film. Zazie Beetz is in talks to reprise her role as Sophie from the first film, while Oscar nominees Catherine Keener and Harry Lawtey have already confirmed their participation in Clown Prince and Princess of Crime.
Phillips is returning to helm the sequel, working from a script he co-wrote with Scott Silver. The first film was so successful that it broke the record for the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, earning $1.074 billion at the box office. The film received 11 nominations at the 2020 Academy Awards, the most of any film, and was nominated for Best Picture. Ultimately, Phoenix would take home the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of the film’s namesake role, while Hildur Gunadóttir would be recognized for Best Original Score.
Joker 2 Release Date
Production on Joker: Folie à Deux is set to kick off in December, and the film is slated for a wide release on October 4, 2024. The Joker may be seen right now on HBO Max.