JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX Casting Director Praises Lady Gaga's Performance: "She's Going to Blow Your Mind"
Director Todd Phillips' upcoming DC sequel Joker: Folie à Deux is headed our way this fall, and from what we’ve heard so far, the movie is going to be good.
The first film won two Academy Awards, one for Original Score and one for Best Actor for Joaquin Phoenix, and it was nominated for several more.
The sequel will introduce us to Arthur Fleck’s love interest, Harley Quinn, and Academy Award-winning actress and musician Lady Gaga is bringing the role to life.
Gaga has played several award-worthy performances in film over the years now, and it looks like we can expect another great movie from her.
Casting director Francine Maisler revealed during a recent chat at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (via IndieWire) that casting Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn was not originally her idea. It was director Todd Phillips who picked the pop star. However, Gaga ended up surprising Maisler.
“She’s so good in it, you guys. She’s going to blow your mind. I didn’t suggest Lady Gaga. It wasn’t my idea. That was Todd Phillips, before me. But I will tell you, she’s really surprising — and really good.
I saw it and I was really surprised. I mean, we all knew what she could do in ‘A Star Is Born,’ but I thought, ‘Oh, well, that’s kind of in her wheelhouse.’ Something she could do and just be real. But this… Man, she’s good.
Joaquin blows your mind, but that she could keep up with him, and be real — and not just wiped off the screen by what that role is and what the performance is — shows she’s good.”
Gaga previously told Access Hollywood that her take on Harley is “mine and it’s very authentic to this movie and these characters,” meaning fans shouldn’t expect similarities to what Margot Robbie did in bringing Harley to life in films such as Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey. Robbie has voiced support for Gaga taking on the role.
The movie stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond, with Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland, and Brendan Gleeson who will be playing undisclosed characters.
Joker: Folie á Deux is scheduled for release on October 4, 2024.