Phillips and Phoenix Once Considered Making ‘Joker in Space’

While a sequel to 2019’s “Joker” wasn’t a certainty until the film surpassed $1 billion in box office revenue, director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix had already begun discussing a follow-up before they finished production. “Joker: Folie à Deux” is set to debut at the Venice Film Festival and will be released this upcoming October. This sequel sees the return of Phillips and Phoenix, alongside the addition of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. It also introduces a unique twist: the film is a musical. In a recent interview with Empire, Phillips and Phoenix shared insights into why they opted for this distinct genre choice and hinted at other possibilities they had considered.

“Joaquin and I talked about another one the whole time while we were making the first movie, just because we love the character,” Phillips stated. “We were obsessed with Arthur. We would almost joke about it: ‘Oh, we should take Arthur and we should do this.’”

For Phoenix, his interest in Arthur in singing stemmed from a curiosity about how the character could evolve and respond to different situations. Similar to the first film, the Oscar-winning actor found inspiration in classic cinema.

“I had a curiosity about going further with the character,” Phoenix explained. “It felt like you could put him into almost any situation, and I would be interested to see how he would navigate it. I mocked up all of these posters of films that have already been made, like ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ and ‘Godfather,’ and I put Joker in them and I gave them to Todd.”

While some of the ideas for the character’s evolution were serious, others were more playful. Phoenix shared, “There was a running joke of, ‘What about Joker in space?’ But yeah, I was fascinated by where he would end up.”

Even though they’re enthusiastic about the direction they took, making Joker the star of his own musical, Phillips is uncertain about how audiences will react. He noted that this uncertainty is part of what makes the project intriguing. “This is not a lay-up sequel. And that makes it really exciting for us,” he said.

“Joker: Folie à Deux” will premiere at the Venice Film Festival before a wide release in October.