That has now moved into the “official” column, as Gaga has taken to social media with a teaser video confirming her casting.
Set to an instrumental version of the Irving Berlin-written ‘Cheek to Cheek’ (a song that Gaga herself has performed a lot, often with Tony Bennett), the video shows silhouette versions of Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck and Gaga’s so far unknown character (though there is speculation on that – see further down the page) and unites them in a virtual version of a shadow puppet dance.
Featuring the actors’ names in bold and then confirming the title as ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’, the twitter tease also mentions the release date for the film.
As discovered yesterday, the new ‘Joker’ film will head to theaters on October 4th, 2024 – five years to the day since the original. The studio will naturally be hoping for similar success at the box office and awards season.
Phillips had previously teased the new movie’s title by posting the cover for the script he wrote with ‘Joker’s Scott Silver. And the cameras should be cranking this December. No one knows what the plot is exactly yet, though Folie à Deux’ is a French reference for a medical term pertaining to a mental disorder which affects two or more people.
And this latest teaser also seems to point to more of a musical angle to the movie (which makes sense given Gaga’s casting).
Gaga, of course, is a big star these days, with an Oscar on her mantel and plenty of acclaim for ‘A Star is Born’ in particular (it’s perhaps little coincidence that Phillips co-produced that Bradley Cooper-directed movie).
And, if she does end up making a deal to appear, word is she’ll be playing iconic Joker character Harley Quinn, his psychiatrist at the mental institution known as Arkham Asylum who falls in love with him and becomes his sidekick and partner in crime.
This being Phillips’ own world, not connected to the DC Extended Universe, any potential Gaga Harley would be different from Margot Robbie’s Quinn, who has so far appeared in two ‘Suicide Squad’ movies and her own spin-off, ‘Birds of Prey’.
And it’s not like ‘Joker’ eschewed other Batman characters completely: we got a smattering of them in Phillips’ vision of Gotham, including a young Bruce Wayne and a corrupt version of his father, Thomas.
So while those eagerly anticipating more of Phoenix’s make-up-sporting troublemaker will have to wait a couple of years to see the next installment, at least we know that the movie is officially on its way.
(L to R) Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in 2018’s ‘A Star Is Born.’
After co-writer/director Todd Phillips offered an update about the status of the sequel to 2018 hit ‘Joker’ last week, the latest developments to emerge about the movie are quite the follow-up.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, not only is Lady Gaga now in early talks to co-star, but the movie is shaping up to be a musical, or at least carry a solid musical element. As if people weren’t paying attention to the sequel already, that’s certainly something to make them.
Gaga, of course, is a big star these days, with an Oscar on her mantel and plenty of acclaim for ‘A Star is Born’ in particular (it’s perhaps little coincidence that Phillips co-produced that Bradley Cooper-directed movie).
And, if she does end up making a deal to appear, word is she’ll be playing iconic Joker character Harley Quinn, his psychiatrist at the mental institution known as Arkham Asylum who falls in love with him and becomes his sidekick and partner in crime.
This being Phillips’ own world, not connected to the DC Extended Universe, any potential Gaga Harley would be different from Margot Robbie’s Quinn, who has so far appeared in two ‘Suicide Squad’ movies and her own spin-off, ‘Birds of Prey’.
And it’s not like ‘Joker’ eschewed other Batman characters completely: we got a smattering of them in Phillips’ vision of Gotham, including a young Bruce Wayne and a corrupt version of his father, Thomas.
Joaquin Phoenix in 2019’s ‘Joker’ courtesy of Warner Bros.
The musical element is harder to pin down, but it certainly makes Gaga’s casting resonate even further. While the first ‘Joker’ movie certainly had music in it (and one iconic scene featuring Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck dancing), the idea that the sequel will be a full-blown, tune-filled affair is an intriguing one.
If you were looking to sidestep the usual cries of sequel fatigue, that’s certainly one way to go about it! Right now, it’s all up the air as Gaga still has to lock in her deal, while Phoenix is also in the midst of figuring out the financials for his return to the lead.
Co-writer Scott Silver and Phillips have been hard at work on drafts of the script, and the movie’s current working title is ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ which translates to the term for a mental disorder that affects more than one person. And that’s definitely a good way to describe the viral chaos that Arthur Fleck began spreading around Gotham in the original.
How closely the new movie will hew to established DC lore is unknown at this point – we’d honestly put money on Phillips continuing to chart his own path, picking and choosing how Fleck’s story intersects with the wider Bat-world.
The ‘Joker’ sequel doesn’t have a confirmed release date yet, but there’s a chance it could be ready for screens next year. And will it be a full-blown musical? Lady Gaga might have scored a trophy for “Shallow”, but it’s Arthur Fleck who is off the deep end.
(L to R) Jared Leto, Florence Andrews, Adam Driver, Lady Gaga, and Al Pacino in ‘House of Gucci’
Opening in theaters on November 24th is Oscar winning director Ridley Scott’s latest film, ‘House of Gucci,’ which chronicles the rise and fall of the Gucci family and the empire they created and lost. The movie features an incredible cast all delivering their best, including Lady Gaga (‘A Star is Born’), Adam Driver (‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’), Salma Hayek (‘Eternals’), and Academy Award winners Jared Leto (‘Dallas Buyers Club’), Jeremy Irons (‘Reversal of Fortune’) and Al Pacino (‘The Godfather’). The result is an over-sized movie with a strong story and truly winning performances from the cast including Gaga and Leto but suffers in the pacing and falls apart in the third act.
The film begins by introducing us to Patrizia Reggiani (Gaga), who works for her father’s trucking business in Italy. One night at a party, she meets Maurizio Gucci (Driver), the heir to the famous Italian luxury label dynasty. Patrizia is relentless in her pursuit of Maurizio, and eventually they fall in love, but he has no interest in his family’s business. Maurizio soon introduces Patrizia to his estranged father Rodolfo Gucci (Irons), who believes Patrizia just wants the Gucci money and forbids his son to marry her. After their wedding, the couple begin spending time with Rodolfo’s brother, Aldo Gucci (Pacino), who encourages Maurizio to join the family business, much to Patrizia’s delight. She then orchestrates a way for her husband to take over the company from Aldo, with the help of his incompetent cousin and Aldo’s son, Paolo (Leto). But Maurizio and Patrizia get greedy for power and betray Paolo in the process. Eventually, their marriage begins to fall apart, and the Gucci brand falls in financial trouble. Maurizio has an affair and leaves Patrizia, who turns to her psychic (Hayek) for help finding someone to murder her husband.
‘House of Gucci’ marks the second film directed this year by Oscar winner Ridley Scott after ‘The Last Duel.’ That’s a pretty amazing accomplishment for anyone, especially an eighty-three-year-old filmmaker. It’s no question that Ridley Scott is one of the greatest directors of his generation, with a resume that includes ‘Alien,’ ‘Blade Runner,’ ‘Thelma & Louise,’ and ‘Gladiator.’ But for every ‘Black Hawk Down’ or ‘The Martian’ there is a ‘Robin Hood’ or ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings,’ and the prolific director can be hit or miss to say the least. He’s taken a crack at the crime thriller genre before with mixed success, again, for every ‘American Gangster’ there is ‘The Counselor.’ But this time around, Scott scores pretty well by turning the Gucci family into the Corleone’s, and it works… for the most part.
However, the biggest issue I have with the film is the length, as it would have benefited from a tighter run time and better pacing towards the end. Since it is a true story, it can be easily googled, so trying to draw on the drama doesn’t really work because we know Patrizia will kill Maurizio in the end. Where the film, as well as Scott and the cast, shine is in setting up the inevitable and really diving into their relationship and the family business. Scott also sets the tone for the decadent 80s quite well with appropriate music like The Eurhythmics and Blondie, as well as the clothes, cars, and over-the-top lifestyles. Scott also has a sharp eye for performances, and he got stellar ones out of his four lead actors.
Jeremey Irons and Salma Hayek are both fine in the film, but have very small roles and honestly do not do a lot. I’m surprised actors of their caliber would even take roles that small, but undoubtfully it was just for the chance to work with the celebrated director. Al Pacino is very strong as Aldo Gucci and even though he does terrible things, you feel a great sympathy for him at the end, thanks to his performance. After a terrific performance in ‘The Irishman,’ it seems like the legendary actor has another chance at a Best Supporting nom this year. But the actor who is definitely getting a nomination for best supporting actor is Jared Leto for his transcending work as Paolo. The actor is completely unrecognizable, which the Academy loves, and his quite funny playing the sad and pathetic character. Much like Pacino, Leto draws on great sympathy from the audience for his bumbling character and creates a singular performance all to his own. I have no idea if the real Paolo Gucci looked anything like Leto does in the film, but the performance is original and fun.
Adam Driver and Lady Gaga in ‘House of Gucci’
Adam Driver gives an almost thankless performance in the film, playing opposite Lady Gaga, but he is definitely the anchor of the movie. Driver gives a quiet performance but is completely believable as a man with good intentions wrapped up in a world of greed and power. His accent is excellent, and he also gives a performance worthy of at least Oscar attention. But unfortunately for Driver, all eyes are on Lady Gaga, who shares almost every scene with Driver in the film and can’t help stealing most of them. Gaga gives a completely commanding performance as Patrizia and reminded me of Sharon Stone in ‘Casino.’ She creates a character that you understand and relate to, even if you can’t relate to many of her actions. It would be easy for the movie to paint Patrizia as a “gold digger,” but Gaga’s performance elevates that, so you really believe that she truly loved Maurizio, even if the money was also enticing. In my opinion, Lady Gaga is 2 for 2 after her performance in ‘A Star is Born,’ and deserves another nomination this year.
In the end, ‘House of Gucci’ is certainly no ‘Godfather,’ but it is a decent modern-day story about the rise and fall of a family empire filled with all the drama, passion, greed and betrayal that comes with it. Ridley Scott delivers a strong film that is too long and drags in the third act but is saved by top-notch performances from the accomplished cast, especially Lady Gaga and Jared Leto.
“A Star Is Born” and never dies — at least, now that Bradley Cooper has given fans hope that he and Lady Gaga may reprise their performances from the Oscar-nominated film.
On Thursday’s “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Cooper shot down the host’s suggestion of a tour featuring the director/actor and his Oscar- and Grammy-winning co-star.
“I mean, no,” Cooper said of a tour. “But what I thought would be a cool thing to do, maybe one night, would be like a live reading of the script and sing all the songs as we read the script, like at the Hollywood Bowl or something.”
That does sound like a cool thing to do, even if Cooper is terrified of performing, just as he was when he and Gaga sang “Shallow” at the Oscars.
“I actually wasn’t nervous, because I worked so hard, and Lady Gaga is so supportive. But it was terrifying,” he said. “Because I’m not a singer and I didn’t sing before this movie, so it was really crazy.”
The soundtrack featuring the Oscar-winning song “Shallow” has now surpassed 1 million copies sold in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music.
“A Star Is Born,” which stars Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper as singers who fall in love, has sold 1,003,000 albums after 24 weeks.
This mark’s Gaga’s fourth million-selling album and her first since May 2011, when “Born This Way” launched with 1.11 million sold in its first week.
The most recent album to hit the million mark was also a soundtrack, “The Greatest Showman.” It was released on Dec. 8, 2017 and reached the million mark in its 23rd week of release. Its total sales now stand at 1.68 million.
It rose from the 21st spot; in October, the song previously peaked at No. 5.
“Shallow” won the Oscar for Best Original Song, the latest trophy in a haul that includes a Grammy and Golden Globe.
This marks Gaga’s fourth Hot 100 No. 1 and, of course, Cooper’s first. The actor made his directorial debut with the movie, but also stunned audiences with his musical ability. With this No. 1 hit, he now can boast a feat that many big-name music stars have yet to achieve— including Bruce Springsteen, James Brown, the Backstreet Boys, and One Direction.
After “Shallow’s” Oscar win, Warner Bros. re-released “A Star Is Born” into theaters with additional footage.
Lady Gaga is shutting down rumors that she and her “A Star Is Born” co-star and director Bradley Cooper are engaged in a real-life romance after a sultry performance of the Oscar-winning song “Shallow” during Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony.
When Gaga stopped by “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Wednesday night to show off her Oscar trophy, the host brought up the topic we all wanted to hear about: “We were watching it at home and wondered, ‘What’s going on between these two?’”
“First of all, social media quite frankly is the toilet of the internet and what it has done to pop culture is abysmal,” she said after rolling her eyes.
“And yes, people saw love, and guess what, that’s what we wanted you to see. This is a love song … the movie is a love story.”
She highlighted how Cooper oversaw every detail of the performance, from the stagehands pushing out the piano on stage to the lighting.
“From a performance perspective it was so important to both of us that we were connected the entire time,” she said.
And if people saw romance in it? “I’m an artist and I guess we did a good job… fooled ya!” she laughed.
As good as Cooper’s directing skills are, his singing is what made Gaga truly gush. “Bradley is a musician,” she declared. “My favorite thing about the whole experience — I was so excited for everyone to see him sing live.”
Fresh off its Oscar win for Best Original Song, the acclaimed movie is returning to more than 1,150 theaters with 12 minutes of new footage starting this Friday.
The special “encore” edition of the film, directed and co-starring Bradley Cooper, contains extended performances of the songs “Black Eyes” and “Alibi,” as well as of Lady Gaga’s impromptu a cappella performance of the Oscar-winning “Shallow.”
Other fresh footage includes Ally singing “Is That Alright?” to Jackson Maine during the wedding sequence; Jack in his studio singing “Too Far Gone”; and Jack and Ally writing a new song called “Clover.”
“A Star Is Born” was a big hit after opening in October, earning $425.4M at the global box office. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Other Oscar winners are also returning to theaters. Best Picture winner “Green Book” will up its theater count to 2,641. Best Animated Feature winner “Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse” will jump from 743 locations to 2,350. And “The Favourite,” starring Best Actress winner Olivia Colman, will go from 288 theaters to 725.
“A Star Is Born” added two Grammys to its impressive awards season haul on Sunday night for its hit anthem “Shallow.”
Songwriters Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt won best song written for visual media. “Shallow” also won best pop duo/group performance, which Gaga accepted on behalf of herself and the absent Bradley Cooper.
“I wish Bradley was here right now,” she said in her acceptance speech. “I know he wants to be here. Bradley, I loved singing this song with you.”
Gaga also addressed addiction and mental illness, the film’s key theme. “I’m so proud to be a part of a movie that addresses mental health issues and a lot of artists deal with that and we’ve got to take care of each other. So if you see somebody that’s hurting, don’t look away,” she implored.
Gaga’s performance of “Shallow” on the Grammys broadcast was decidedly more hard rock than the version heard in the movie:
The lead-up to this year’s Oscars ceremony has been like a continuing loop of the “This is fine” meme, with controversy after controversy plaguing the telecast over the past few months. But according to the new president of ABC Entertainment, all of that drama has only made the event more buzzworthy than ever.
During a panel discussion at the Television Critics Association winter press tour on Tuesday, Karey Burke addressed concerns about all of the uncertainty that still surrounds the ceremony, despite its looming air date later his month. While Burke herself might be feeling a bit like that dog in a burning room, she didn’t show it, assuring reporters that even though she was initially worried about what went down with former host Kevin Hart (who dropped out after some of his old homophobic tweets surfaced), she’s since changed her tune.
“I ironically have found that the lack of clarity around the Oscars has kept it in the conversation, and the mystery has been really compelling,” the exec told the TCA crowd. “People really care. I think it’s fascinating… to me that shows evidence of how relevant the Oscars still are.”
Burke also said that this year’s Oscars would forego having a host altogether, something that the Academy confirmed on Tuesday. That would help the show keep its pledge of clocking in at only three hours — nearly an hour shorter than last year’s telecast.
“The main goal, which I’m told the Academy promised last year, is to keep the show to three hours,” Burke said. “The producers decided to wisely not have a host and have the presenters and the movies be the stars. That’s the best way to keep the show to a brisk three hours.”
The exec was upbeat about the big draw of box office hits among the nominees (namely $200 million-plus grossers “Black Panther,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and “A Star Is Born”), as well as the “phenomenal” tunes up for Best Original Song, which Burke confirmed will all be performed. (Thanks to Lady Gaga, perhaps?) There are still some unanswered questions, including which awards will be cut from the live telecast, but Burke also pledged that there would be a “very exciting opener.”
Based on everything that’s gone down with this year’s show already, we’re definitely expecting the unexpected. The 91st annual Oscars will air on ABC on Sunday, February 24.
