New film “Joker: Folie a Deux" director Todd Phillips, left, and lead actor Joaquin Phoenix speak during a video press conference for the film, Thursday. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Korea By Lee Gyu-lee When "Joker" came out in 2019, the film surprised audiences with its new and dark take on the famous supervillain character, exploring the opposite end of the good-fights-evil superhero narrative.
Returning after five years, "Joker: Folie à Deux" comes as a sequel with another surprise. It's a musical. The new thriller, set for Korean release on Tuesday, picks up two years after failed comedian Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) was apprehended for a series of murders, having transformed into the criminal mastermind known as the Joker.
Placed in a state hospital while awaiting trial, he discovers the love of his life, Harleen "Lee" Quinzel (Lady Gaga), better known as Harley Quinn, as he grapples with his dual identity as Arthur and the Joker. Director Todd Phillips noted that it was natural for the sequel to incorporate strong musical elements, as much of the dialogue between Arthur and Lee, as well as Arthur's fantasies, is presented through song. "In the first movie, one thing (Phoenix and I) spoke about a lot was that even though Arthur is left-footed and out of step with the world, to us, there was a romance in him, and there was music inside of Arthur in the first film.
That comes out in the first movie where he's dancing in the bathroom, or he's coming down the stairs in t.