Bad, mad romance: Lady Gaga in early talks to star in Joker musical sequel
If a deal comes through, the singer and actress may join the upcoming film as Harley Quinn, opposite Joaquin Phoenix's Joker.
Lady Gaga (left) may play Harley Quinn opposite Joaquin Phoenix's Joker in the 2019 film's sequel. (Photos: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP, Warner Bros)
Fans of 2019’s psychological thriller Joker may start going “gaga ooh-la-la” just yet for a couple of reasons: Lady Gaga has entered discussions to join the film’s sequel, tentatively titled Joker: Folie A Deux, and the film is expected to be a musical, according to The Hollywood Reporter (THR).
The singer-actress is reportedly eyeing the role of Harley Quinn, the Joker's psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum who becomes in partner-in-crime.
The sequel's title references the medical term for a shared mental health condition that affects two or more people, so we may see yet another interpretation of the twisted love affair between the Joker and his on-again, off-again lover, which was first portrayed in 1992’s Batman: The Animated Series before becoming a plot element in other DC properties.
Joaquin Phoenix is expected to return to play the Joker, although he hasn't signed a deal with Warner Bros just yet – despite director Todd Phillips recently sharing a social media post of the actor reading the sequel’s script.
The first film drastically reimagined the classic Batman villain as a disgraced comedian, Arthur Fleck, who eventually becomes an anti-hero standing up for the downtrodden in his own violent way.
It grossed a total of US$1.07 billion (S$1.47 billion) worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.
There's no telling what the potential addition of Harley Quinn to the mix will bring to the sequel. But if the first film is any clue, fans can likely anticipate a dark film that speaks to current social concerns with a Clown Prince of Crime twist.
