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Lady Gaga in talks to star opposite Joaquin Phoenix in musical sequel to Joker

Lady Gaga is in talks to play Harley Quinn in a rumoured musical sequel to Joker

Words: Emily Maskell; pictures: Instagram/@ladygaga and Warner Media

Lady Gaga is rumoured to be in negations to star opposite Joaquin Phoenix in writer-director Todd Philips’ sequel to Joker… and sources say it’s a musical!

There is strong speculation that the Oscar-winning songwriter and A Star Is Born actress is in early talks to co-star as the Joker’s beloved partner in crime, Harley Quinn, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

If Gaga does sign on to the project her Quinn would exist in a different DC universe than Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, who most recently appeared in The Suicide Squad.

Philips has been working on a Joker sequel since the 2019 film’s success with co-writer Scott Silver. Last week (7 June) Philips announced the project’s title: Joker: Folie à Deux. Which means ‘shared psychosis.’

 
 
 
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A post shared by Todd Phillips (@toddphillips)

That title suggests the Joker has someone close with whom he’s sharing wild ambitions. Given the character’s infamous and long-running relationship with Quinn, it makes sense we could be seeing her in any sequel. 

Quinn has previously been portrayed as a psychiatrist at Gotham City’s Arkham Asylum, where she meets and falls in love with the Joker so it will be certainly fascinating to see what direction Gaga would hypothetically take her version of Harley Quinn.

The Instagram post also included a black and white image of Phoenix reading the script.

Entertainment Weekly has reported that Phoenix is set to revive his titular role and is currently in the process of contract negotiations to return.

Phoenix’s turn as the eponymous Joker earned him numerous ‘Best Actor’ awards including an Oscar, BAFTA Award, and a Critic’s Choice Movie Award.

Rumours of the ‘Rain on Me’ singer’s casting follow her dramatic turn as Patrizia Reggiani in the 2021 biographical crime drama House of Gucci.

In its review, Attiitude have the film four out of five stars and praised Gaga for her “total commitment to a gargantuan role, in which she’s incredible.”

The Attitude July/August issue is out now.