Joker 2 Adds Catherine Keener in Secret Role

09/07/2022 03:26 pm EDT

The cast for the upcoming Joker 2, officially titled Joker: Folie à Deux, continues to grow with the addition of Academy Award-nominated actress Catherine Keener in a secret role. Deadline brings word of Keener's casting, noting that her role is being kept under wraps. Academy Award winner Joaquin Phoenix will return for the sequel, reprising his role of Arthur Fleck from the 2019 feature film. Phoenix will lead a cast that also includes returning co-star Zazie Beetz and newcomer Brendan Gleeson. Lady Gaga is also set to appear in the film, seemingly playing a version of DC Comics' Harley Quinn opposite Phoenix.

Though it's unclear who Keener will be playing, the potential for it to be someone from the larger DC canon is certainly on the table. When news that Gleeson had joined the cast was first reported it later came with news that he appears to be playing the warden or a security guard of Arkham Asylum. It's previously been revealed that the upcoming film, which will incorporate musical elements into its content, will largely be set in the iconic DC locale. Keener could very well be another inmate at the asylum or perhaps a doctor attempting to treat one of our leads.

What is Joker 2 about?

No official plot synopsis for Joker: Folie à Deux has been released, but we do know that the film will feature both Joker and Harley Quinn. It's unclear if the movie will follow the traditional storyline of the two, wherein Dr. Harleen Quinzell attempts to treat The Joker, only to fall in love with him, or if an all-new interpretation of the character will be deployed. The "Folie à deux" subtitle refers to the medical condition where two or more people start sharing delusions.

Is Joker 2 a musical?

As previously noted, the film is also said to be incorporating musical numbers into the fold. Previous reports on the musical numbers compared them to A Star Is Born, another Lady Gaga vehicle.

When will Joker 2 be released?

Production on the upcoming Joker sequel won't begin until December of 2022 with the movie currently scheduled for a October 4, 2024 release date, arriving exactly five years after the original film. The original Joker movie went on to gross over $1 billion at the global box office off of a reported $60 million budget. It's been reported that the sequel will have more than double the budget, but if the same return on investment occurs it will be a major boon for Warner Bros. Discovery. 2019's Joker was also nominated for eleven Academy Awards (with two wins).

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