Forget 'Send In The Clowns' — how about 'Send Down The Clown'? That certainly looks to be the idea in the latest trailer for Todd Phillips all-singing, all-dancing movie with music Joker: Folie À Deux, which sees Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck taking to the stand as he goes on trial for the televised killing of Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro) in Joker. Joining him in the courtroom — and Arkham Asylum (and in a slew of fantastical musical_esque_ sequences) — is Harley "Lee" Quinn, with whom yer man Joker strikes up a potentially romantic, definitely dangerous bond. Check out the trailer, in which Phoenix and Gaga use music and song to express that which words alone are not enough to say, below:
"They're saying you're a bad influence on me," says Gaga at the start of the new trailer, which juxtaposes more of Phillips' 70s inspired, gritty take on Gotham as brought to our screens in Joker with distinctly more outré, La La Land reminiscent flights of fantasy. Continuing, the pop megastar bursts into a full-throated rendition of 'That's Life' as we see Phoenix's Fleck adopt his Joker persona in the courtroom as the people of Gotham and the media at large seem to be following in the not-quite-yet-Clown-Prince's footsteps on the city's streets. It's a fascinating melding of tones and stylistic sensibilities to be sure, and one that promises to see the Beau Is Afraid actor get closer to the Joker we all know and love to hate than ever before; Phoenix's "Uh-oh, I'm in trouble" as he's being escorted to a cell in handcuffs is pure comic book J.
One last time, here's the official synopsis for the movie: "Joker: Folie À Deux finds Arthur Fleck institutionalised at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that's always been inside him.” He'll also find franchise newcomers Brendan Gleeson and Catherine Keener, and a returning Zazie Beetz, too.
Will Joker: Folie À Deux prove to be worth making a song and dance about? Might it hit a bum note or two along the way? And will we ever be able to safely call it the 'M' word? We'll find out the answers to those questions and more when Phillips film that features story-driving songs performed as a stream of consciousness by the main characters hits UK cinemas on 4 October.