According to Deadline, Brendan Gleeson has been cast in Todd Phillips' upcoming Joker sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga as the Joker and Harley Quinn. Gleeson's casting comes a few weeks after news broke that Zazie Beetz would be reprising her role in the film. The sequel has had a lot of fans speculating about where Phillips will be taking his unique approach to the characters, but one thing is confirmed: there will be music.
There are currently no firm details about who Gleeson will be playing in the film. The Irish is known for starring in acclaimed movies such as Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven, M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village, and Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York. He gained more notoriety worldwide after playing the part of Alastor Moody in the Harry Potter film series. In 2022, Gleeson shared the screen with another member of the Batman universe: He co-stars in the comedy/drama The Banshees of Inisherin alongside fellow Irish actor Colin Farrell.
Director Todd Phillips returns to direct Joker: Folie à Deux after the first movie became a critically acclaimed international hit – it currently reigns as the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever. It also earned an 11-nomination slate at the Oscars, something that rarely happens with movies based on comic books. Phoenix also won an Academy Award for his performance, which made him the second actor to win an Oscar for playing the most famous Batman villain. In 2009, the late Heath Ledger won the prize for Best Supporting Actor for playing the same character.
Image via Warner Bros.
With Joker: Folie à Deux, Warner Bros. is evidently trying to strike gold again. The main duo’s casting is one for the awards: Gaga has been frequently featured in the awards seasons ever since she started taking on challenging roles in the film industry. For this new movie, the pop star will have to do the same thing Phoenix did a few years back: Take an extremely popular character (who has recently been played by Margot Robbie), ground her insanity and make her relatable.
Warner Bros. is still keeping the plot of Joker: Folie à Deux under wraps. Considering that the movie is currently eyeing a Fall 2024 release date, it could be a while before we get first-look images or even a trailer. One thing is sure, though: Based off its cast, the upcoming blockbuster is already a must-watch.
Joker: Folie à Deux’s tentative release date is currently October 4, 2024. But that can change, as we’ve seen with recent Warner Bros. theatrical releases.