'Joker: Folie à Deux' brings out the music in an iconic film villain

Set for release on Oct. 1, the long-awaited sequel comes five years after “Joker” (2019), which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 2019.

A still from film "Joker: Folie à Deux" [WARNER BROS]

After his Oscar-winning film "Joker" (2019), director Todd Phillips sought to dive deeper into character Arthur Fleck in a bold and unexpected manner — by transforming the upcoming sequel, "Joker: Folie à Deux," into a musical. Phillips, however, says it's "not much of a leap."

“It didn’t seem like that much of a leap to us to turn the movie to have musical elements or become a musical. It felt like an extension of Arthur from the first film,” Phillips said during a press conference via video call in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Thursday. The conference was joined by Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix, who plays Arthur.

Set for release on Oct. 1, the long-awaited sequel comes five years after “Joker” (2019), which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 2019.

A still from film ″Joker: Folie a Deux″ [WARNER BROS]

Phillips said there was “always music inside of Arthur,” referencing his dancing in the bathroom and down the stairs in the Bronx, as well as his singing in the first film. This is clearly visible in the upcoming movie, where the character performs solo and in duets for multiple songs.

“There was a romance and music inside of him. So we thought, well, if we’re doing another one, and if he finally, for the first time, maybe finds love in his life, that music inside of him should come out.”

“We wanted the songs Arthur sings to feel like music his mother played around the apartment when he was growing up,” continued Phillips.

The film continues with Arthur facing trial for his murders as the Joker. As he navigates his dual identity and the challenges ahead, Arthur not only finds true love but also discovers his true self.

The sequel returns with singer and actress Lady Gaga as his infamous partner-in-crime, Lee Quinzel, also known as Harley Quinn.

A still from film ″Joker: Folie a Deux″ [WARNER BROS]

“She was really accessible and warm and unbelievably hardworking. She was so committed that you couldn't shake her from her trajectory. You also feel there’s fire in her,” Phoenix said of Gaga.

Phillips said Gaga wasn’t on his radar until “halfway through the script.”

“At some point, I thought, wouldn’t it be great if we could find an actor who brings music with them,” he said.

To match some degree with Gaga’s vocal level and fulfill his role in performing numerous songs across different genres, Phoenix said he underwent vocal training, though he found it might not have been as necessary as he anticipated.

“We first had references, and I tried to perform the songs like those references, and we kind of looked at each other, going, ‘How is that Arthur?’ It shouldn’t be perfect and smooth. It should be broken, desperate, and with cracks,” Phoenix said. This idea led characters to record live.

The vocal challenges weren’t the only difficulties for Phoenix; he also lost weight for the sequel.

“I can’t remember how much I lost, but it was important that Arthur looks worse in that opening scene than the audience last saw him,” said Phoenix. The movie picks up with his character, Arthur, incarcerated at Arkham Asylum for some time.

“I got lower in weight than in the first film. It was more difficult because I was actually dancing two hours a day for six to eight weeks. It was hard to maintain my energy while losing weight.”

A still from film ″Joker: Folie a Deux″ [WARNER BROS]

Arthur Fleck, or the Joker, is quite a character — a struggling clown-for-hire and aspiring stand-up comedian whose traumatic upbringing and mental health struggles lead him down a murderous path. His desire for recognition ultimately pushes him into madness, a theme further explored in the upcoming sequel. Arthur's complexity is what motivated Phoenix to join the Joker series.

“It started with meeting Phillips, and the way he talked about the character and what he hoped it could be was inspiring to me,” said Phoenix. “It was a great script, and as we began working on it, we realized this character is so rich; you never know how he’s going to react in any situation.

“We were coming to an end, but I kind of didn’t want to end," continued Phoenix.

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]