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The 2024 movie schedule has been filled with sequels and follow-ups, and among one that’s set to hit theaters in just a few months is the much-discussed Joker: Folie à Deux. A psychological thriller with musical elements, the film continues the story that began in 2019’s Joker. Todd Phillips is back in the director’s chair for the upcoming DC movie and also co-wrote the script again. With the film’s release date getting closer, Phillips is now providing additional details regarding what fans can expect from the flick and most recently explained why he doesn’t view the film as a sequel.
Some may be surprised that the War Dogs director holds that viewpoint, especially considering that – as the Joker: Folie à Deux trailer shows – the new movie picks up almost directly after the first. However, it sounds like the director’s reasoning for his perspective goes beyond the narrative. He spoke about his latest cinematic endeavor with Empire Magazine, with whom he shed some light on the production. When explaining why he doesn’t see this flick as a sequel, he used The Hangover to illustrate his point:
I don’t think of it as a sequel. Hangover 2 was a sequel. So often a sequel is more of the same, just bigger. Of course [Folie À Deux] is a sequel, but it felt like we were making something entirely different. It’s tonally and inherently something way more different. The first one subverted the expectations of what it was. So how do you do that again?
So Todd Phillips’ opinion is more so related to the approach that’s been taken for this new movie. He doesn’t see it as a traditional sequel, because this film as a whole is vastly different from the first installment in the franchise. I suppose I can understand his rationale on that front, and it’s hard to argue against the notion that this new feature seems set to take even bigger creative risks than Joker. Phillips went on to tell the news outlet about what his mindset was as he prepared to craft what could be one of the biggest films of the year:
I always said, early on, the film should feel as if it was made by crazy people. Like the inmates are running the asylum. It does feel like a big swing. You just go, ‘Well, fuck it. Why not? What are we all doing here, if not to do that?’
Those sentiments are appropriate, especially since a portion of this movie seems to take place in Arkham State Hospital. In this new movie, Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck a.k.a. Joker is set to stand trial after murdering TV host Murray Franklin on air. While in Arkham, Fleck meets music therapist Lee (Lady Gaga), with whom he ultimately forms a romantic bond. Joining both Phoenix and Gaga in the Folie à Deux cast are stars like Harry Lawtey (the returning) Zazie Beetz, Catherine Keener, Steve Coogan, and Brendan Gleeson.
Based on the footage that’s been revealed so far, it looks like Todd Phillips’ upcoming film is going to be a sight to behold. It’s likely that many will still commonly refer to it as a sequel in general. However, all signs certainly point to this being a production that surpasses its predecessor in some truly unique ways.
Joker: Folie à Deux opens in theaters on October 4 and, while you wait for it, you can check out its 2019 predecessor using a Max subscription.