Everyone was shocked when it was announced that the Academy Award-winning film Joker would be getting a sequel. But, it seems director and writer Todd Phillips is putting together quite the ensemble of talent for the upcoming film. Today, Deadline is reporting that Industry star Harry Lawtey has joined the cast of Joker: Folie à Deux.
Lawtey is a British actor who recently had his break-out role starring in the acclaimed HBO and BBC drama series Industry, which just wrapped up airing its second season. He has also appeared in various other series, including Magpie Murders and The Letter for the King. Lawtey can next be seen sharing the screen with Christian Bale in the upcoming Netflix crime-mystery film The Pale Blue Eye. The nature of Lawtey’s role is being kept under wraps, but according to Deadline’s sources it is “a big one”.
Lawtey will be joining an impressive ensemble cast in the sequel. To begin with, the film will see the return of Joaquin Phoenix, who won the Best Actor Academy Award for the first film, and the Emmy-nominated Zazie Beetz. He will also be joining the previously announced additions of Emmy winner Brendan Gleeson, two-time Academy Award nominee Catherine Keener, and Academy Award winner Lady Gaga.
Much of the details surrounding Joker: Folie à Deux are being kept under wraps by Warner Bros. and DC Films. What is known is that the film will pick up with Phoenix as the titular Batman villain in Arkham Asylum after inciting the violence and riots seen at the climax of Joker. The film will then focus on the character’s relationship with Harley Quinn, played by Gaga, who begins as the Joker’s psychiatrist but slowly falls in love with him. Additionally, to most audiences' surprise, the sequel will also be partially a musical.
Phillips will be returning to direct the sequel from a script he wrote with Scott Silver, inspired by the creations of legendary comic book creators Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson. Before gaining widespread acclaim for the first film, Phillips was mainly known for directing and writing raunchy comedies like The Hangover trilogy and Old School. Silver on the other hand, before writing Joker, had already written critically beloved films like 8 Mile and The Fighter.
Joker: Folie à Deux is scheduled to begin filming this December, with a theatrical release slated for October 4, 2024. Stay tuned to Collider as more information on the upcoming sequel gets released. Check out Collider’s interview with Gleeson below where he reveals
why he signed on to the film: