When it was revealed that the Academy Award-winning picture Joker would be receiving a sequel, everyone was taken aback. On the other hand, it appears like writer/director Todd Phillips has assembled an impressive cast for his next project. According to Deadline, Harry Lawtey, who recently starred in Industry, has joined the cast of Joker: Folie à Deux.
Lawtey is a British actor whose breakthrough performance was in the just concluded second season of the critically praised HBO and BBC drama series Industry.
He is a veteran of many other shows, such as Magpie Murders and The Letter for the King. In the forthcoming Netflix mystery thriller The Pale Blue Eye, Lawtey will appear with Christian Bale. Deadline’s sources say that Lawtey’s involvement is “a major one,” but they won’t say what exactly that means. In the sequel, Lawtey will be a part of a stellar cast. Academy Award–winner Joaquin Phoenix and Emmy nominee Zazie Beetz are both set to reprise their roles from the first film.
In addition to Oscar winner Lady Gaga and Emmy winner Brendan Gleeson, two-time Oscar nominee Catherine Keener will also be joining the cast. Warner Bros. and DC Films are keeping several aspects of Joker: Folie à Deux under wraps. After provoking the violence and rioting shown at the end of Joker, the film will pick up with Phoenix as the villainous Batman in Arkham Asylum. Harley Quinn, portrayed by Gaga, will first serve as the Joker’s psychiatrist before she gradually falls in love with him over the course of the film.
Also, much to the delight of music fans, the sequel will have some musical numbers. The great comic book artists Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson served as inspiration for Phillips and co-writer Scott Silver as they penned the story for the sequel. Phillips had already gained recognition for directing and writing racy comedies like The Hangover trilogy and Old School before the success of the first picture. However, Silver had previously written highly acclaimed films like 8 Mile and The Fighter before penning Joker. Filming on Joker: Folie à Deux is set to begin in December, and the picture is expected to hit theatres on October 4, 2024.