Phoenix stars as Arthur Fleck, the man behind the Joker alter ego, and Gaga stars as Harleen âLeeâ Quinzel, a patient in the mental hospital Arthur is held at the start of the movie.Â
Phillips said the goal of the movie is to make it feel like it was âmade by crazy people,â which is evident from what little information is available.Â
He details how the movie begins: It kicks off with a âLooney Tunesâ-inspired cartoon before showing âprison riots, courtroom faceoffs and a variety-show sequenceâ that starts with Phoenix and Gaga as a homicidal Sonny & Cher.Â
In terms of the characterization of Harley Quinn, Phillips said he wanted her to be manipulative and amoral, but also more grounded.Â
âThe high voice, that accent, the gum-chewing and all that sort of sassy stuff thatâs in the comics, we stripped that away,â Phillips says. âWe wanted her to fit into this world of Gotham that we created from the first movie.â
Gaga spoke to Variety about Phillipâs ambition to outdo 2019âs âJoker.âÂ
âTodd took a very big swing with this whole concept and with the script, giving the sequel to âJokerâ this audacity and complexity,â Gaga said. âThereâs music, thereâs dance, itâs a drama, itâs also a courtroom drama, itâs a comedy, itâs happy, itâs sad. Itâs a testament to [Todd] as a director, that he would rather be creative than just tell a traditional story of love.â
Because they sang live as opposed to using a pre-recorded track, Phillips said he wanted Gaga and Phoenix to capture a rawer, more unstable sound than theyâre used to performing, in an attempt to strike a balance between euphoria and despair.Â
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âWe asked ourselves what would need to be true for two people to just break into song in the middle of a conversation?â Gaga said. âWhere does the music come from when no one can hear it but the characters? Neither Arthur nor Lee are professional singers, and they shouldnât sound like they are.â
So far, there are three confirmed songs that Phoenix and Gaga perform in the film: âGet Happyâ by Judy Garland, âFor Once In My Lifeâ by Stevie Wonder and âThatâs Lifeâ by Frank Sinatra. It has not been officially confirmed if Gaga contributes original music to the filmâs soundtrack.Â
While the film makes use of music, Phillips said heâs reluctant to call it a musical because, âMost of the music in the movie is really just dialogue.â Â
âJoker: Folie Ă Deux" will premiere in theaters on Oct. 4, 2024.Â
Stay up-to-date with Lady Gaga Now for updates on âJoker: Folie Ă Deux.â
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