Joker: Folie à Deuxhas surpassedBarbieas the biggest trailer launch of recent years for Warner Bros., setting up theJoaquin PhoenixandLady Gagamovie for a huge box office haul later this year. The interest in the sequel to 2019’s $1 billion Batman villain movie has been building for some time, spurred on by the intriguing release of several BTS stills and director Todd Philips’ teases of the film’s “musical” theme.
The trailer, which featured both Phoenix and Gaga prominently, made its debut at Warner Bros.’ CinemaCon panel earlier this week, and arrived online almost simultaneously. In its first 24 hours, as perVariety, the two-minute-plus showcase of what the movie has to offer garnered over 167 million views, which was enough to surpass even that of Warner Bros. 2023 summer sensation,Barbie. This puts the film in a very strong position to not only match its predecessor but surpass it when it hits cinemas in October.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Joker: Folie à Deux is the sequel to Todd Phillips' critically acclaimed comic book thriller Joker. Reprising his Academy Award-winning performance as the failed comedian Arthur Fleck, Joaquin Phoenix revisits the iconic DC character alongside Lady Gaga, who makes her debut as Joker’s lover Harley Quinn in this standalone continuity of the DC Universe.
The trailer’s success was significantly amplified by Gaga’s involvement, with her army of “Little Monsters” setting social media alight at the chance of seeing their idol take on the role of a grounded and disturbed Harley Quinn alongside Phoenix’s return as Arthur Fleck aka Joker. With hashtags being shared by the singer’s 150 million followers, it is not surprising that the trailer immediately went stratospheric compared to many other recently released trailers such as those ofKingdom of the Planet of the Apesand Disney’sInside Out 2. However, the impressive viewership still fell short of theunparalleledDeadpool & Wolverinetrailer’s 365 million viewsfollowing its premiere during the 2024 Super Bowl.
Joker 2 Will Be Another Dark, Disturbing and Grounded Comic Book Movie
The sequel to Philips’ triumphant 2019 film is set to build on the dark, character-driven foundation of that movie, this time expanding the journey of Phoenix’s central character with the addition of Gaga’s Arkham Asylum inmate Harley Quinn. Unlike thegleeful version of the character played by Margot Robbiein several DCEU films, Gaga appears to cut a much more eerie and intriguing version of Quinn – at least that is something the trailer alludes to. With the film set to be played out to a surreal jukebox musical backdrop, there are still many ways the true nature of the relationship between its central pair can be revealed.
Even thoughJoker: Folie à Deuxisthrowing a real curve-ball with its musical direction, especially when considering the kind of movies and stage productions that the term “jukebox musical” conjures up. However, from the trailer, it is clear that Philips’ vision is one that is going to be unlike anything that has been seen in that particular genre before, and that kind of intriguing box office offering is the kind of thing that led toBarbie’ssuccess last year.
Joker: Folie à Deux: How Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn Will Blow Margot Robbie’s Out of the Water
Two actors, one iconic role. Lady Gaga is set to play Harley Quinn, and her performance will be far from the happy/crazy of Margot Robbie.
Following up Joker was always going to be a hard task, as lightning very rarely strikes twice, and the film itself seemed to be a very self-contained affair that did not lend itself naturally into sequel territory. However, the trailer seems to have not only alleviated fears about the musical aspects of the film, but also increased the hype surrounding the sequel. In a year when standard superhero movies have taken a backseat,Joker: Folie à Deuxhas chosen the perfect moment to shine.
Joker: Folie à Deuxwill be released on August 23, 2025.
