Lady Gaga eyes Harley Quinn role in ‘Joker 2’ — the musical

Article content

Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker will be singing a brand-new tune in an upcoming sequel to the Batman spinoff.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Todd Phillips-led follow-up to the 2019 box office smash is being classified as a musical with pop star Lady Gaga possibly joining the project as Harley Quinn.

In the comics, Harley is a psychiatrist who falls madly in love with Joker and becomes his partner in crime after treating the insane villain at Gotham’s Arkham Asylum. If Gaga joins the project, her version of the character would be different from the one Margot Robbie plays in DC’s the Suicide Squad films.

Last week, Phillips revealed on social media that he had completed the screenplay for the new entry — Joker: Folie à deux — which translates to “shared madness.”

Article content

Although Phillips’ post showed Phoenix reading the script, THR reports that the Oscar winner doesn’t have a deal in place to return for the sequel.

Phillips’ Joker showcased the iconic Batman villain in a stand-alone character study that cast Phoenix as a street clown and failed stand-up comic who descends into madness amid life in an uncaring Gotham City. Set outside DC’s ongoing cinematic universe, the film was a worldwide hit, grossing over $1 billion at the box office and earned Phoenix an Academy Award for Best Actor.

While Phillips did not share any plot details on the story, which is co-written by Scott Silver, in a 2019 interview with the Toronto Sun he said he was drawn to the character because of “his representation of mayhem.”

Article content

But at the time he added that a sequel wasn’t a guarantee.

“This is a one-time movie. We’re not talking about sequels. We’re not tying it into anything. There’s no secret Easter egg thing setting up something else.”

He also revealed that his Joker would not face off down the line against Robert Pattinson, who played the Dark Knight earlier this year in The Batman.

“I’m not giving you a scoop when I say, ‘No, they won’t link up,’” he said. “This version of Joker exists in this movie.”

Gaga previously won raves for her performance in actor-director Bradley Cooper’s revamp of A Star Is Born, which was produced by Phillips.

[email protected]