House Of Gucci c Universal Pictures International

Source: Universal Pictures International

‘House Of Gucci’

Lady Gaga is reportedly in early talks to play Harley Quinn for a Joker sequel – which is being spoken of as a musical – in which Joaquin Phoenix is expected to reprise his Oscar-winning lead role.

The 2019 original’s writer-director Todd Phillips posted an image of the front cover of the screenplay on social media last week – it is called Joker: Folie A Deux – with a photograph of Phoenix reading a script. Phillips shared writing duties with his Joker co-writer Scott Silver.

According to The Hollywood Reporter sources say the follow-up feature will be a musical, which would be Gaga’s sweet spot. A folie a deux is a rare condition whereby two or more people share a psychotic disorder. Quinn and the Joker are comic book lovers and in recent years Margot Robbie has portrayed the character in the Suicide Squad films and the Birds Of Prey spin-off.

The R-rated Joker earned more than $1bn at the global box office and earned 11 Oscar nominations, winning two for best lead actor and best score for Hildur Guonadottir. Phoenix is understood to be deep in negotiations to return as Arthur Fleck AKA Joker.

His last film role was in Mike Mills’s gentle family drama C’mon C’mon. He will next be seen in Ari Aster’s horror-comedy Disappointment Blvd. expected later this year through A24, and has also shot Kitbag for Ridley Scott and Apple TV+ in which he plays Napoleon Bonaparte.

Gaga, who broke out in Hollywood with her lead role opposite Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born, starred for Scott in last season’s awards contender House Of Gucci, distributed in the US via UA Releasing.

Screen has reached out to Warner Bros for comment.