It's a great week for comic book fans. Just as the excitement for Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman's upcoming Deadpool and Wolverine reached a fever pitch, director Todd Phillips dropped a new trailer for Joker: Folie a Deux.
The trailer, featuring the Frank Sinatra classic "When You’re Smiling," sets an intriguing tone for the film. The tagline, "When you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you," hints at the dark and twisted journey ahead.
'Joker: Folie a Deux' is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2019 Academy Award-winning Joker, which grossed over $1 billion worldwide and remains the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. Joaquin reprises his Oscar-winning role as Arthur Fleck/Joker, while Oscar winner Lady Gaga joins the cast as Harley Quinn.
While the film being a musical has been widely discussed, this trailer provides the first glimpse of how Phillips integrates musical elements into a comic book movie, especially one set in an asylum. Much of the promo is sung, but a voiceover from Mayor Harvey Dent sets a darker tone: "They believe Arthur Fleck to be some kind of martyr. Well, he's not. He's a monster."
The official synopsis reveals that Joker: Folie à Deux finds Arthur Fleck institutionalized at Arkham Asylum, awaiting trial for his crimes as the Joker. While grappling with his dual identity, Arthur discovers true love and the music that has always been inside him.
The film also stars Oscar nominees Brendan Gleeson and Catherine Keener, alongside Zazie Beetz, who reprises her role from Joker.
Joker: Folie à Deux will be released exclusively in theaters and IMAX on October 4.
