‘Joker 2’ Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga Gets 2024 Release Date

After canceling the already completed “Batgirl” project for HBO Max, Warner Bros. has decided to give Todd Phillips’ “Joker” sequel its release date.

“Joker: Folie à Deux” will hit cinemas on Oct. 4, 2024, exactly five years after the first film was released, Variety reported Wednesday.

Joaquin Phoenix will reprise the role of Batman’s notorious foe, but the second installment will be very different from the first film since it will be a musical.

The first “Joker” movie delivered dark and gritty drama. “Folie à Deux” will bring something more since Lady Gaga has been tapped to play the Clown Prince of Crime’s partner Harley Quinn.

“Joker” was originally planned to be a standalone film. However, the studio decided to change that after the R-rated tentpole raked in more than $1 billion worldwide. In addition, Phoenix won an Oscar for his portrayal of the titular role.

The first movie with a working budget of $62.5 million recorded a surprising $96.2 million during its October domestic opening in 2019. It went on to secure $335.4 million domestically. It also became the highest-grossing R-rated movie with its $1.07 billion earnings globally, according to Deadline.

Due to the success of the first film, Phoenix reportedly asked for bigger pay for the sequel. In “Folie à Deux,” the award-winning actor will be reprising Arthur Fleck, aka Joker, for $20 million.

The subtitle of the sequel is a French reference for a medical term for a mental disorder affecting two or more people. Deadline has learned through sources that production will start in December.

The news about “Joker 2” comes a day after the studio decided to scrap “Batgirl” even though the project already completed filming. The DC film was supposed to release on HBO Max later this year, but Warner Bros. opted to cancel its release despite shelling out more than $90 million for its completion.

A top Hollywood source said the decision came after the studio did some test screenings for audiences and found that the Leslie Grace starrer was poorly received. It’s also worth noting that the new Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, David Zaslav, has voiced his plan to prioritize cost-cutting measures and refocus on creating theatrical releases instead of content for the streaming service.