Joaquin Phoenix's 'Joker 2' Gets 2024 Release Date

While fans have still not gotten past the mourning period for Batgirl, Warner Brothers Discovery decided to cushion the fall by setting a release date for the Joker sequel starring Joaquin Phoenix. Titled Joker: Folie à Deux, the film will be presented in theatres on October 4, 2024, the fifth-year anniversary of the first installment, Deadline reported. 

Warner Bros. had already announced an untitled film slated to release in the October slot. Since they were grappling to establish continuity within the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), and maintain the audience's attention for DC comics films, this film is absolutely necessary for the studio, according to Variety. Previous attempts like The Suicide Squad (which premiered both in theatres and on HBO Max in 2021) and DC League of Super-Pets performed underwhelmingly. However, with the promise of what the Joker sequel could be, the DCEU can salvage its various attempts to bring the narratives together. 

The Flash has also been receiving the superhero movie treatment, with a budget of $200 million. However, lead actor Ezra Miller being in the spotlight for repeated allegations of abuse and misconduct has made it difficult for the studio to see where the film could be going. The only light at the end of the dark tunnel was Robert Pattinson's Batman, which grossed over $700 million at box offices. Joker outshined all of them and made over a billion dollars in box office sales worldwide. It won two Oscars: Best Actor for star Joaquin Phoenix and Original Music Score for Hildur Guðnadóttir. The movie was nominated for 11 Oscars including Best Picture and Todd Phillips for Best Director. 

Hoping to replicate this success, Phillips returns to direct the film and also contributes his abilities as a writer with Scott Silver. Additionally, the sequel is a musical hoping to introduce Lady Gaga as the Clown Prince of Crime’s co-conspirator Harley Quinn. The subtitle (Folie á Deux) may hint at their partnership because the term refers to a “rare delusional disorder shared by two or more people with close emotional ties,” Collider reported. It would be exciting to see how the gritty drama is amalgamated with the musical film genre. 

Production for the film is rumored to start in December 2022. While fans may still be sad that Batgirl will most likely never grace their screens, they can take solace in the fact that Joker will definitely come out with its sequel. 

Joker: Folie à Deux is set to release in theatres on October 4, 2024.