The final trailer for Joker: Folie à Deux is packed with climactic scenes, epic dialogue, and a deep glimpse of the Joker and Harley Quinn’s world domination. It begins with Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) sitting in a jail cell, giving interviews after his arrest for the brutal murder of TV anchor Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro).
The reporter asks Joker to take him back to the night of the murder and reflect on what has changed since that horrific incident. “I’ll tell you what has changed, I’m not alone anymore,” he replied as the clip showed Harley (Lady Gaga) and Joker kissing each other.
The trailer also highlights the duality of Phoenix’s character – he is torn between his human version, who is persecuted and labelled a failure, and his other form, the Joker, who is a manifestation of his destructive intrusive thoughts and emotions.
“Who am I talking to now? Which one of you is here?” another reporter asked. Meanwhile, Fleck, in the Joker costume, insisted he was still the same person. “So you don’t think it’s me?” he said at one point.
Gaga’s charming villainous character will likely promote the mistakes made by the Joker. While in prison, Harley told the Joker, “You can do whatever you want.” Joker: Folie a Deux is a musical sequel to the 2019 blockbuster film Joker, which earned Phoenix an Academy Award in the Best Actor category.
According to director Todd Phillips, Fleck has always had a musical flair, which is what first inspired him to come up with the idea of making a musical sequel. While the Poker Face singer claimed that music plays an important role in the sequel and becomes a means of expression for the characters.
He told IndieWire, “Music is used to give the characters a way to express themselves because visuals and dialogue alone are not enough.” He and the Gladiator actor sang without any frills to keep the song true to their characters. “It was really the only way,” Phoenix said.
Joker: Folie à Deux will hit theaters on October 2, 2024.
