Joker 2: Zazie Beetz would be back against Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga

Zazie Beetz is reportedly in talks to reprise her role in Joker 2. According to a new report from Deadline, the actress is set to return as Sophie Dumond in the Todd Phillips-directed sequel. Titled “Joker: Folie à Deux,” the Joaquin Phoenix-directed film will be released on October 4, 2024, with Phillips writing the screenplay alongside Scott Silver. Joker 2 is slated for theatrical release on the same day as the prequel’s debut, marking the fifth anniversary of DC Comics’ Oscar-nominated entry.

Joker: Folie à Deux is set to begin filming in December and brings back Beetz (Deadpool 2) as the “love interest” of Arthur Fleck (Phoenix). In 2019 Joker, the two become involved in a romantic relationship, but it is soon revealed that these precious moments were all part of Fleck’s delusion. The ending also remained ambiguous, as we saw him break into Beetz’s apartment with no resolution. It left fans debating for months over whether she was killed or left unharmed, as Fleck left the apartment saddened by the extent of her imagination.

Whether this indicates Beetz’s character is alive or appears as another fantasy remains to be seen. Beetz recently starred in David Leitch’s Bullet Train, alongside Brad Pitt and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Bullet Train has grossed $62.5 million (roughly Rs. 497 crore), since its August 4 release.

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Last week, the Warner Bros. added Lady Gaga (House of Gucci) to its cast. The musician-actress confirmed her involvement in the sequel through a social media post, showcasing an animated infographic of her dancing with Fleck. The surrounding buzz alludes to Gaga playing the role of Joker’s on-and-off girlfriend, Harley Quinn. The claim is reinforced by the fact that the end of 2019 Joker saw Fleck institutionalized in a mental asylum, where he could have met Dr. Harleen Quinzel.

While plot details are kept in obscurity, Joker 2 has also been flagged as a musical drama. Can we expect song-and-dance sequences between the two leads, like Oscar-nominated Damien Chazelle’s La La Land? This would explain the reason for hiring Gaga – who already has experience in this field – marking her first collaboration with Phoenix.

Upon release, Joker became the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, grossing $1.07 billion (about Rs. 8,345 crore) worldwide. The film was nominated for Best Picture at the 2020 Oscars, with Phoenix and composer Hildur Guðnadóttir taking home awards in the Best Actor and Best Original Score categories, respectively.

Joker 2 – or Joker: Folie à Deux – is set to be released on October 4, 2024 in cinemas around the world.

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