His previous big-screen outing became a cultural event. It reinvented one of the most iconic villains of all time from the ground up. And it made over a billion dollars to boot. Not bad for a gritty, grounded comic-book character study, with nary a superhero setpiece in sight. And now, Joker’s next move will be just as unexpected: Joaquin Phoenix and filmmaker Todd Phillips are reuniting for Joker: Folie À Deux, a follow-up that sends Arthur Fleck not only into Arkham – but also into song-and-dance mode, in order to spin the story of Joker’s burgeoning bad romance with Lady Gaga’s Harley ‘Lee’ Quinzel. Get ready for a wild swing of a sequel where – as Cole Porter once wrote – anything goes. Time to send in the clowns.
The new issue of Empire takes a world-exclusive deep-dive into the Joker movie that few saw coming – going behind bars with Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, and Todd Phillips to get immersed in Joker: Folie À Deux’s perfect delusion. Inside, we learn about the film’s unexpected musical inspirations, its all-new conception of Harley Quinn, its fresh perspective on Joker himself, and why it had to break all the rules to become a story worth telling. Plus, it’s packed with brand new images, giving you ultimate access to a comic-book sequel like you’ve never seen before.
This month’s newsstand cover sees Joker and Lee unite, ready to paint Gotham red:
And the subscriber cover is a haunting dual portrait of Arkham’s ultimate power-couple, complete with a crimson clown smile.
And that’s not all – this month’s magazine also ventures into the Colosseum for a brand new look at Gladiator II; picks up a Pulse Rifle with Alien: Romulus star Cailee Spaeny; hops over to a different Bat-verse with The Penguin; hits the high notes of Wicked with director Jon M Chu; goes dramatic with theatrical prison tale Sing Sing; gets under the skin of The Substance with Demi Moore; and features major new interviews with Kate Winslet and Jeff Goldblum.
It’s an issue that brings the razzle-dazzle – find a copy on newsstands from Thursday 1 August. Pre-order a copy here. Joker: Folie À Deux comes to UK cinemas on 4 October.