The sequel to 2019’s Oscar-winning Joker is planned for release on October 4th, 2024. Deadline reported the news Thursday, and director Todd Phillips confirmed the release date in an Instagram post. Joaquin Phoenix, who won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of the character in the first movie, is returning, and Lady Gaga will be joining the cast.
The Instagram post doesn’t reveal who Gaga might play, but a potential role would be Joker’s long-standing partner Harley Quinn (previously played by Margot Robbie in the DCEU). The film is rumored to incorporate more musical elements, though, which would make Gaga a logical fit. Phillips previously shared on Instagram that the sequel was moving ahead in June under the title Joker: Folie à Deux, which literally translates to “madness for two.”
Although Joker had originally been intended as a standalone film, its success at the box office and the Academy Awards (where it received 11 nominations including for Best Picture) made a sequel an obvious choice. That’s especially the case given the bumpy performance of Warner Bros. films based on titles from DC Comics. Although this year’s The Batman was widely considered to be a success (with a sequel quickly greenlit), Ezra Miller’s solo outing as The Flash has been mired in difficulties, and last year’s The Suicide Squad flopped at the box office.
Production on the Joker sequel is due to kick off in December, Deadline reports.
Update August 4th, 12:29PM ET: The movie’s release date and Lady Gaga’s casting have been confirmed.
