Fans get first look at Joaquin Phoenix in Joker sequel as production kicks off

Todd Phillips, the director of Joker: Folie à Deux, has shared a first look at the upcoming film on social media.

The filmmaker, who also directed the 2019 film, Joker, posted a picture of Joaquin Phoenix as the eponymous Joker, Arthur Fleck, on set.

The image, shared on Sunday (11 December), shows Phoenix lying back in a chair while someone shaves his face. Phillips simply captioned the picture: “Day 1. Our boy. #joker.”

For his role as Fleck, Phoenix won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2020.

The sequel’s script was written by Phillips and his co-writer, Scott Silver.

Lady Gaga will also be featuring in Joker: Folie à Deux as Harley Quinn. Most recently, she played Patrizia Reggiani in House of Gucci, but missed out on an Oscar nomination for her performance.

Back in August, Phillips shared a short animated video announcing the release date. It showed the silhouetted figures of Phoenix and Gaga as their respected characters dancing against a red backdrop.

Released in 2019, Joker was met with critical acclaim. It was dubbed one of the Top 10 Films of the Year by the American Film Institute and received a series of award nominations and wins.

Joker ended with the audience getting a glimpse of Fleck at Arkham Asylum, where he is being chased through the hallways, leaving behind bloody footprints on the linoleum floor.

Judging by the picture on Phillips’s Instagram, Fleck seems to be getting a shave from an orderly in Joker: Folie à Deux. However, whether he is in a mental health institution or a prison is currently unknown.

There has been little information about Joker: Folie à Deux and the plot and supporting cast has been kept firmly under wraps. However, the film is slated to be released on 4 October 2024.