“They’re using every tool at their disposal”: ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Star Harry Lawtey’s Tall Promises For the Film Still Won’t Water Down One Huge Challenge Its Facing

DC Elseworlds’ highly anticipated Joker: Folie à Deux, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Zazie Beetz, and Harry Lawtey, is a musical psychological thriller. The movie is a sequel to 2019’s critically acclaimed Joker, and the actor at the time had mentioned that he couldn’t stop thinking about the character. Director Todd Phillips had clarified on various occasions that Joker was conceived to be a standalone movie, but he wouldn’t mind returning for a sequel if Phoenix was on board.

The second installment is scheduled to have its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2024. Joker: Folie à Deux is also reportedly going to compete for the Golden Lion. Ahead of the release, actor Harry Lawtey talks about working with absolute two icons.

Joker: Folie à Deux star Harry Lawtey talks about working with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga

Actor Harry Lawtey, who plays Harvey Dent in the upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux, recently spoke to Vogue about his experience of sharing a screen space with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. He acknowledged the opportunity he received by stating that there is not a great deal he can say other than expressing how ambitious the movie is.

Upon asking his experience, the actor mentioned,

Genuinely surreal. These people are icons. To share space with them and to work alongside them was an education and a roller coaster. I went in—and thankfully came out—with such a huge amount of admiration for them both. They’re brilliant artists and very holistic ones as well. They’re using every tool at their disposal, and to have a front-row seat to that is a real privilege.

Lawtey continued that he feels very fortunate to be a part of the movie, pointing out that at times it feels like some sort of hyper-dream. He added further that both the actors are very kind, cool, and lovely people who are extremely down-to-earth. The actor who plays Gotham City’s District Attorney in the movie pointed out that despite leading the movie, Phoenix and Gaga wanted to be a part of the team and collaborate.

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The young actor mentioned in his Vogue cover story interview that it was a very affirming lesson for him to see how lovely and nice they are. He also added that he cannot wait for the audience to see what they all have created on-screen for Joker: Folie à Deux.

Can DC Elseworlds’ Joker: Folie à Deux beat Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine’s record?

Despite Phoenix &  Gaga’s best efforts to make the highly anticipated movie Joker: Folie à Deux a success, some critics and fans raised concern about the future of the movie; specifically whether it would be able to beat Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine’s box office record.

Deadpool & Wolverine, according to reports from Variety, already surpassed 2019’s Joker and became the highest-grossing R-rated movie in history. Joker grossed over $1.078 billion worldwide, while Deadpool & Wolverine grossed over $1.086 billion just 23 days after its release. The MCU movie is at the second spot on the list of blockbuster movies of 2024, with Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios’ Inside Out 2 leading the board.

Fans who are waiting for Joker: Folie à Deux are waiting to see if the movie will be able to surpass the charm of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman and impress the audience. Joker: Folie à Deux, which is described as a musical psychological thriller, is not a traditional musical, as only Phoenix and Gaga end up singing and dancing in the movie, and most of it exists in their addled minds. Gaga in her conversation with Variety shared,

Some of the music is fantasy; some of it’s in the scene. It breaks genres. We asked ourselves what would need to be true for two people to just break into a song in the middle of a conversation. Neither Arthur nor Lee are professional singers, and they shouldn’t sound like they are.

The singer-actress noted that they wanted to help in telling a story of the shared madness between Arthur and Lee in a way that felt real. She mentioned that everyone has an intimate and personal relationship with music in that there is a score for one’s inner emotional life. That is what they wanted to capture for the characters.

The storyline comes off as very intriguing for Joker: Folie à Deux, but will it be able to break even or fall behind Deadpool & Wolverine? That can only be decided when it is released on October 4, 2024 in cinemas!