Lady Gaga confirms her role as Harley Quinn in Joker musical sequel alongside Joaquin Phoenix

Lady Gaga has confirmed her role in Joker 2.

The 36-year-old singer/actress, who set to play Harley Quinn, revealed the news on her Instagram page Thursday, by posting a musical teaser.

The video posted had a red background with Gaga and her co-star Joaquin Phoenix seen as shadows dancing with the film’s title on screen as well as their names: Joker: Folie à Deux and the release date – October 4, 2024.

The teaser was set to Cheek to Cheek, which Lady Gaga has covered alongside music legend Tony Bennett.

Gaga was reportedly in early talks to play the DC Comics character Harley Quinn in June, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, which also revealed the project is being developed as a musical.

In June, writer-director Todd Phillips shared the title of his Joker sequel – Joker: Folie à Deux.

Margot Robbie has played Harley Quinn in 2016’s Suicide Squad, 2020’s Birds of Prey and 2021’s The Suicide Squad, though this version of Harley Quinn in Joker: Folie à Deux is said to exist in a different DC universe than Margot’s Harley Quinn. 

Confirmed: The singer/actress, who set to play Harley Quinn, revealed the news on her Instagram page Thursday, by posting a musical teaser; pictured February 27, 2022 in Santa Monica

Exciting: The video posted had a red background with Gaga and her co-star Joaquin Phoenix seen as shadows dancing with the film’s title on screen as well as their names: Joker: Folie à Deux and the release date – October 4, 2024

While the original 2019 Joker with Joaquin as the Joker was never intended to have a sequel, its critical and commercial success lead director Todd Phillips said in August 2019 that he might be interested in making a sequel, if Joaquin was interested in returning as the title character.

Phillips signed on to direct and co-write the script with his original Joker writing partner Scott Silver in May 2021.

In June, Phillips shared a photo of the Joker: Folie à Deux script cover, revealing that script draft was completed on May 18. 

He also shared another photo of Phoenix reading the script while smoking a cigarette, though at the time THR clarified Warner Bros. has not yet finalized a deal with Phoenix, though they are both ‘deep’ in negotiations. 

 Star: While the original 2019 Joker with Joaquin as the Joker was never intended to have a sequel, its critical and commercial success lead director Todd Phillips said in August 2019 that he might be interested in making a sequel, if Joaquin was interested in returning as the title character; Joaquin seen as the Joker on the set in NYC on September 22, 2018

Different universe: Margot Robbie has played Harley Quinn in 2016’s Suicide Squad, 2020’s Birds of Prey and 2021’s The Suicide Squad, though this version of Harley Quinn in Joker: Folie a Deux is said to exist in a different DC universe than Robbie’s Harley Quinn

The title Folie à Deux is a medical term that is, ‘an identical or similar mental disorder affecting two or more individuals, usually the members of a close family.’

The 2019 R-rated Joker movie was a surprise smash hit at the box office, which earned $335.4 million domestic and $1.074 billion worldwide from a meager $55 million budget.

The Harley Quinn character was by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm in 1992 for Batman: The Animated Series. 

Surprise: The 2019 R-rated Joker movie was a surprise smash hit at the box office, which earned $335.4 million domestic and $1.074 billion worldwide from a meager $55 million budget

Animated: The Harley Quinn character was by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm in 1992 for Batman: The Animated Series

While she was only intended to appear in one episode as comedic relief, she became a recurring character and ultimately the Joker’s sidekick and love interest.

She was introduced into the DC Comics universe in 1999 as the Joker’s love and partner in crime, and also a good friend of supervillain Poison Ivy. 

While this will be the first time Gaga has been directed by Phillips, the filmmaker did serve as a producer on her debut 2018 film A Star Is Born.

The singer/actress (born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta) followed up her Oscar-nominated performance by playing Patrizia Reggiani in last year’s House of Gucci.

She also recently wrote the song Hold My Hand for the current box office hit Top Gun: Maverick. 

Reunited: While this will be the first time Gaga has been directed by Phillips, the filmmaker did serve as a producer on her debut 2018 film A Star Is Born