Lady Gaga very nearly missed appearing at the Academy Awards two weeks ago as a result of her schedule conflicts while filming Joker: Folie à Deux. Having made the show at the last minute, to perform her Oscar nominated song from Top Gun: Maverick, she very quickly returned to the set of the Todd Phillips movie to resume work.
And now, we've been given a new look at Gaga in character as Harley Quinn, courtesy of these new set photos published on Twitter by Popbase. The movie is currently shooting around New York City and Newark, which meant it was just a matter of time before the singer and her co-star Joaquin Phoenix were spotted in costume.
The photos show Gaga's Harley surrounded by a crowd of protesters supporting her as she walks into a courthouse surrounded by police officers. We'd previously seen a photo released by Phillips which showed the character pre-Joker makeup, as Harleen Quinzel - these photos show a first proper glimpse as Harley Quinn, who has previously been played famously by Margot Robbie.
Folie à Deux Will Be A "Full Blown Musical"
The movie, set after the chaotic ending of Joker which saw Phoenix's Arthur Fleck fully embrace the madness of the Joker, and starting a riot in Gotham City, has been described by Phillips as "a full-blown musical", although not much else is known about the plot. The movie will also exist outside of James Gunn's new DC Universe, having officially been classified as an "Elseworlds" project, which means it will be set outside the continuity of Gunn and Peter Safran's rebuilt world, alongside the likes of Matt Reeves' The Batman.
Joining Gaga in the sequel will be Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin), Catherine Keener (Being John Malkovich), Jacob Lofland (Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials), and Harry Lawtey(Industry). Zazie Beetz (Atlanta) is the only actor announced so far as reprising their role from the first film (alongside Phoenix), portraying Arthur's "love interest" - for lack of a better term - Sophie. Phillips is returning as both director and screenwriter, alongside writer Scott Silver. Composer Hildur Guðnadóttir will also return, having won an Academy Award for her work on the original film.
Joker was a stunning financial success. Although critical reception was mixed, Phoenix did win the Best Actor award at the Oscars, while the movie grossed over $1 billion. Joker: Folie à Deux is set to release on October 4, 2024, which marks exactly five years to the day from the release of the original film. Check out the new images below: