joker was a huge hit with both the public and the box office in 2019. Joaquin Phoenix performed phenomenally in the film and received an Oscar for his lead role as Arthur Fleck/Joker. In addition, the film reached a whopping $1 billion at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film ever released, far surpassing Deadpool 2 with $786 million.
Unsurprisingly, actors would queue up for a chance to appear in the sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux. Brendan Gleeson was a talent who couldn’t say no to the opportunity, as he says during an interview with Collider. Gleeson could finally reunite with Phoenix, who he shared the screen with on M. Night Shyamalan’s The village. However, the 67-year-old Irish-born actor had a very different reason for joining Todd Phillips’ sequel.
“It wasn’t the material, which is a great way to make sure I don’t have to answer questions about the criteria,” he explains. “It was the performance of the first movie. I’ve worked with Joaquin before on The village… And so I knew him from then. And that performance, I’m still in awe of that.’ Gleeson continues, saying he said yes to the part in an instant. “That acting as Joker, in that first movie. It was one of the most extraordinary performances I’ve ever had. And for Todd to work on the film to make that happen, I didn’t have to be asked twice. I really didn’t.”
Gleeson certainly seems excited about his role in the upcoming sequel, though details about his character have yet to be released. Fans have to wait a long time because Joker: Folie à Deux hits theaters on October 4, 2024.
Joker: Folie à Deux Has started filling in his cast
Joker: Folie à Deux will have an all-star cast as the film prepares for its 2024 release. Phoenix will, of course, reprise his role as the titular character; however, there was a surprising announcement earlier this year in June. Lady Gaga will appear in the film as Harley Quinn, and the sequel is rumored to contain musical elements.
Margot Robbie recently spoke about Gaga’s casting as the actress portrayed Harley Quinn in several films, including: suicide squad, Birds of preyand the spin-off/sequel/reboot The Suicide Squad. “It makes me so happy because I’ve said from the beginning that I just want Harley Quinn to be one of those characters, like Macbeth or Batman is always passed from great actor to great actor,” the actress said.
In addition to Gaga, Zazie Beetz will reprise her role as Sophie Dumond, Arthur Fleck’s love interest, who happened to be made up in his own mind. Catherine Keener (Out, Capote) and Jacob Lofland (Mud, The son) also have secret roles in the film. Though fans will have to wait to see the cast inside Joker: Folie à Deuxaudience will get a chance to see Brendan Gleeson in the upcoming movie The Banshees of Inisherin, arrives in theaters on October 21