Joaquin Phoenix lands hefty payday to return to iconic role alongside Lady Gaga in upcoming movie

According to a recent report from Variety, Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga are set to make some hefty paychecks for their roles in the upcoming Joker sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux. Phoenix is said to be receiving $20 million to reprise his role as Arthur Fleck, aka Joker, after originally being paid $4.5 million for the first film, which earned him an Oscar for Best Actor.

Lady Gaga, on the other hand, will be taking on the role of Joker’s love interest, Dr. Harleen Quinzel, aka Harley Quinn, for a reported $12 million from Warner Bros. The highly-anticipated sequel is set to hit theaters five years after the original Joker film grossed $1 billion worldwide, despite its R rating.

The salaries of lead actors Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga for the highly-anticipated Joker sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, have been unveiled in a recent report by Variety. Warner Bros. has supposedly invested close to $200 million in the sequel, a stark increase from the original Joker’s $60 million budget.

Unlike its predecessor, Joker: Folie à Deux is a musical film, a genre known for its unique challenges at the box office. Warner Bros. has had previous struggles with musicals, as seen with the $40 million loss from The Color Purple adaptation starring Taraji P. Henson and Fantasia Barrino, which cost $100 million to produce.

Director Phillips recently shared new promo stills of Gaga and Phoenix in character for Joker 2, generating excitement among fans.

The film is set to be released on October 4, 2024 by Warner Bros. Pictures. Phillips expressed his anticipation for the film’s release in a Valentine’s Day post to his followers, wishing them a day filled with love.

Insiders report that Phoenix has accepted a hefty sum of $20 million to return as Arthur Fleck, also known as Joker, in the sequel to Todd Phillips’ hit 2019 film. The actor was last spotted in November.

He was first offered a paycheck of $4.5 million to portray the infamous Batman villain, and eventually went on to snag the prestigious Academy Award for Best Actor.

In order to secure Lady Gaga for the role of Harley Quinn, Warner Bros. went all out by reportedly spending a whopping $12 million. This casting choice is set to be revealed in the upcoming movie slated for release in 2023.

Warner Bros. has reportedly allocated a hefty budget of nearly $200 million for the upcoming sequel, which surpasses the $60 million production cost of the original Joker film. In April 2023, sightings of Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix filming for the movie were reported.

Director Phillips shared images with a Gotham City dateline, the fictional setting from DC Comics commonly associated with the superhero Batman. One photo depicted Phoenix in full Joker attire alongside Gaga as Harley Quinn, both adorned in elaborate makeup and red outfits.

A monochrome image showcased Joker and a smiling Dr. Quinzel, engaging in a tender moment separated by jail bars. The character of Harley Quinn first debuted as Joker’s companion in the animated series “Batman: The Animated Series” in 1992 before making her comic book debut in 1999.

Harley’s origin story traces back to Dr. Harleen Quinzel, a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum in Gotham City who falls in love with the Joker, ultimately assuming the persona of Harley Quinn and joining him as his partner in crime.

Another black-and-white shot captured Joker and Harley dancing under a full moon on a rooftop, adding to the intrigue of the upcoming film. Additionally, Phillips teased fans with promotional images of Gaga and Phoenix on Instagram in December.

In contrast to Joker, the upcoming sequel will be a musical movie, which presents its own challenges at the box office. The filming for the sequel is scheduled to begin in April 2023.

Fresh information about the highly anticipated Joker 2 has surfaced just a week after director Phillips treated fans to a sneak peek at Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix in their respective roles with new promotional images from the movie.

Joker: Folie à Deux has its release date set for October 4, 2024, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. The director, Todd Phillips, shared holiday wishes and a sneak peek at the upcoming movie on his social media, giving fans something to look forward to in October 2024.

In the previous Joker film from 2019, Phillips and co-writer Scott Silver left fans on the edge of their seats as the Joker ended up in Arkham after stirring up chaos. Lady Gaga, who made waves in the 2018 film A Star Is Born, made history by winning major awards in the same year for her acting and musical contributions.

Alongside Gaga, Zazie Beetz will be reprising her role as Sophie Dumond in Joker: Folie à Deux, adding to the anticipation surrounding the highly awaited sequel.