'Joker 2' Trailer: Joaquin Phoenix And Lady Gaga Cause Mass ...

A partial teaser poster image of Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga as Joker and Harley Quinn in "Joker: ... [+] Folie à Deux."

Joker: Folie à Deux’s teaser trailer features Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga at their chaotic best.

Fans finally got their first extended look at what to expect from the sequel to 2019’s Joker when the film’s first trailer was released Tuesday night. Warner Bros. and DC Studios tipped off fans of the pending release of the first full trailer for Joker: Folie à Deux Tuesday morning by posting 27 seconds of footage.

In the brief first clip, Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck — aka Joker — is shown standing stationary in what appears to be a prison yard and laughing maniacally as he’s drenched in a rainstorm. Joker: Folie à Deux is one of the films the studio is highlighting from its 2024 movie roster at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. The film will be released in theaters on October 4.

The teaser trailer, naturally, features both Arthur/Joker and Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga) and how they met while they were both institutionalized. Once their bond is formed, they decide to break out of the facility and all hell breaks loose.

While the villainous Joker has been long a part of DC’s Batman lore as the Caped Crusader’s arch-enemy, Margot Robbie’s version of Harley Quinn has carved out an antihero status as a part of DC Studios’ two Suicide Squad movies and Birds of Prey.

Joker: Folie à Deux seems intent on separating itself from Robbie’s version of the character by bringing movie musical sensibilities to the Joker’s demented world. As such, the strategic casting of pop star Lady Gaga in the role promises fans a very different version of Harley Quinn.

In the trailer, Arthur Fleck/Joker explains of why music is pivotal to his and Harley’s story — and composer Burt Bacharach’s and lyricist Hal David’s classic tune What the World Needs Now plays over the action.

“We use music to make us whole ... To balance the fractures within ourselves,” Fleck says at the beginning of the trailer.

Just how grandiose a movie musical Joker: Folie à Deux will end up being is yet to be seen. For the time being, music appears to play a significant part in the Joker sequel. Variety reported that 15 cover tunes will be featured in Joker: Folie à Deux and more original songs may be added.

Don’t be surprised if Warner Bros., DC Studios and director Todd Phillips decide to implement at least one original song in Joker: Folie à Deux. After all, Lady Gaga won a Best Original Song Oscar for co-writing the ballad Shallow for A Star Is Born — a song no doubt aided by the pop star’s powerful performance of the tune with Bradley Cooper in the film.

Of course, Lady Gaga isn’t the only Oscar winner featured in Joker: Folie à Deux. Joaquin Phoenix won his Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal in the first Joker movie.

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