‘Joker 2’ Is A Musical And Might Star Lady Gaga As Harley Quinn

Perhaps we should’ve seen this coming? Well, wait. We DID see this coming, sorta. Last week, when Todd Phillips confirmed that a Joker sequel was a go and that it would be titled Joker: Folie à Deux, a pretentious title that loosely translates to “madness for two”, we speculated that a Harley Quinn-type character could be involved. That much, it seems, is definitely true. What we didn’t guess, and probably should’ve, is the film would be a musical. And would co-star Lady Gaga.

THR reports Lady Gaga is in talks to join the Joker sequel as Harley Quinn. Discussions are still at an early stage, but this would be an incredible pairing of Gaga and star Joaquin Phoenix. Obviously, this version of Harley Quinn would be very different from the Margot Robbie one causing chaos throughout the DCEU. But one thing that would remain consistent, it seems, is her toxic relationship to Mr. J.

This actually makes some sense. Gaga and Phillips worked together previously when he produced Bradley Cooper’s A Star is Born, a film that earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. In turn, Bradley Cooper was listed as a producer on Joker. Those Hangover boys just can’t quit one another.

I can actually see this being the movie that finally earns Gaga her Oscar, as well. She’s now had two acclaimed performances in high-profile dramas with no acting gold to show for it. But if Phoenix can win Best Actor for Joker, surely she can win for the next one, especially if she gets to put her obvious singing skills to good use.

Whatever apprehension I might’ve had about Joker 2, I really want to see how this one plays out now.

 

Travis Hopson
Travis Hopson has been reviewing movies before he even knew there was such a thing. Having grown up on a combination of bad '80s movies, pro wrestling, comic books, and hip-hop, Travis is uniquely positioned to geek out on just about everything under the sun. A vampire who walks during the day and refuses to sleep, Travis is the co-creator and lead writer for Punch Drunk Critics. He is also a contributor to Good Morning Washington, WBAL Morning News, and WETA Around Town. In the five minutes a day he's not working, Travis is also a voice actor, podcaster, and Twitch gamer. Travis is a voting member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), and Late Night programmer for the Lakefront Film Festival.