It has been quite a week for Joker fans that swept the Academy Awards in 2020 under the Best Actor and the Best Music categories, as the pop star and actor Lady Gaga appeared to confirm her casting in the upcoming motion picture sequel to the award-winning psychological thriller "Joker" by posting a musical teaser on Twitter.
The musical clip depicts silhouettes dancing together to the tune of the song "Cheek to Cheek," originally written by Irving Berlin in 1935 for the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie Top Hat, with the names Phoenix and Gaga flashing on the screen.
"Joker: Folie a Deux," which will see Joaquin Phoenix reprise his role as the titular character, is set for release in theaters on Oct. 4, 2024.
Phoenix had first played the role in the 2019 film "Joker," which earned him the Academy Award for best actor, depicted an origin story for the arch enemy of DC Comics' superhero Batman.
No further details about the sequel have been immediately made available by Warner Bros. But Hollywood trade publication Variety has reported the new production will be a musical with Lady Gaga expected to play Joker's co-conspirator, Harley Quinn.
If confirmed, Lady Gaga will be the newest in a long line of actresses who have played or voiced the iconic character of Harley Quinn. Most recently, Margot Robbie played the role of the "Crime Queen of Gotham City" in the 2020 film "Birds of Prey" and in "The Suicide Squad" the following year.
It is unclear if Robbie will continue as Harley Quinn. However, the Joker movies featuring Phoenix are set in a separate cinematic universe, which would likely mean Robbie can still reprise her role as the iconic villain in any future movies.
"Folie à deux" is a rare psychiatric syndrome also known as shared psychosis, likely hinting at the traditionally co-dependent relationship between Joker and Harley Quinn.
Meanwhile, in more personal news to Gaga, a 19-year-old accused of shooting her dog walker to steal her French bulldogs last year has been recaptured after being mistakenly released, authorities in Los Angeles have said.
The news that James Howard Jackson, had been taken into custody once more came as another of the three men charged in the robbery was sentenced to four years in prison.
The gang shot Ryan Fischer as he exercised the three prize pets in Hollywood in February 2021. Fischer sustained chest injuries in the attack, and said on Instagram a month later he had suffered a collapsed lung.
Jackson, suspected of pulling the trigger, had been mistakenly released from custody earlier this year after what the United States Marshals Service described as a "clerical error."
They had offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to his arrest, saying that he should be considered "armed and dangerous."
The Los Angeles Sheriff's Office said he was finally "apprehended without incident" in the city of Palmdale. They did not give further details, and it was not clear if the reward was being collected.
The robbery led the "Poker face" singer to offer a $500,000 reward for the return of the animals, whose theft highlighted a growing trend targeting the valuable breed.
The woman who police said handed in the dogs in response to the reward, has been charged with being an accessory after the fact and with receiving stolen goods.
Los Angeles police said at the time they did not believe the dogs were targeted because of their owner, but because of the breed's appeal on the black market.
Small and friendly – and thus easy to grab – French bulldogs do not have large litters.
Their relative scarcity, and their association with stars such as Lady Gaga, Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Jackman, Chrissy Teigen, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Madonna gives them added cachet, and means they can change hands for thousands of dollars.