含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� is a hard act to follow. Todd Phillips含羞草研究社� dark, Scorsese-inspired character study about the Batman villain made over a billion dollars at the box office, , dominated the cultural discourse for months and created a new movie landmark.

It wasn含羞草研究社檛 for everyone, but it got under people含羞草研究社檚 skin.

Knowing that it was a fool含羞草研究社檚 errand to try to do it again, Phillips and Phoenix pivoted, or rather, pirouetted into what would become 含羞草研究社� .含羞草研究社� The dark and fantastical musical journey goes deeper into the mind of Arthur Fleck as he awaits trial for murder and falls in love with a fellow Arkham inmate, Lee, played by Lady Gaga. There is singing, dancing and mayhem.

If Phillips and Phoenix have learned anything over the years, it含羞草研究社檚 that the scarier something is, the better. So once again they rebelled against expectations and went for broke with something that含羞草研究社檚 already sharply divided critics.

As with the first, audiences will get to decide for themselves when it opens in theaters on Oct. 4.

含羞草研究社淗OW ARE YOU GOING TO GET JOAQUIN PHOENIX TO DO A SEQUEL?含羞草研究社�

Any comic book movie that makes a billion dollars is going to have the sequel talk. But with 含羞草研究社淛oker含羞草研究社� it was never a given that it would go anywhere: Joaquin Phoenix doesn含羞草研究社檛 do sequels. Yet it turned out, Phoenix wasn含羞草研究社檛 quite done with Arthur Fleck yet either.

During the first, the actor wondered what this character would look like in different situations. He and the on-set photographer mocked up classic movie posters, like 含羞草研究社淥ne Flew Over the Cuckoo含羞草研究社檚 Nest含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淵entl含羞草研究社� with the Joker in them and showed them to Phillips.

含羞草研究社淪ometimes you含羞草研究社檙e just done with something and other times you have an ongoing interest,含羞草研究社� Phoenix said. 含羞草研究社淭here was just more to explore. 含羞草研究社� I just felt like we weren含羞草研究社檛 done.含羞草研究社�

So Phillips and his co-writer Scott Silver got to work on a new script, one that leaned into the music in Arthur Fleck含羞草研究社檚 head. Then his dreary Arkham life turns to Technicolor when he meets and falls for Lee, a Joker superfan.

含羞草研究社淛oaquin Phoenix is not going to do a line drive. He含羞草研究社檚 not going to do something that含羞草研究社檚 fan service,含羞草研究社� Phillips said. 含羞草研究社淗e wanted to be as scared as he was with the first movie. So, we tried to make something that is as audacious and out there and hopefully people get it.含羞草研究社�

LADY GAGA FINDS LEE含羞草研究社橲 VOICE, AND LOSES HER OWN

One decision that含羞草研究社檚 already sparking debate is casting someone with a voice like Lady Gaga含羞草研究社檚 and not using that instrument to its full power. Phillips, who was a producer on 含羞草研究社淎 Star is Born,含羞草研究社� wanted someone who 含羞草研究社渂rought music with them.含羞草研究社� But Lee isn含羞草研究社檛 a singer.

含羞草研究社淪inging is so second nature to me, and making music and performing on stage is so inside of me. Especially this music,含羞草研究社� Gaga said. 含羞草研究社淚 worked extensively on untraining myself for this movie and throwing away as much as I could all the time to make sure I was never locking into what I do. I had to really kind of erase it all.含羞草研究社�

Phoenix, who wasn含羞草研究社檛 quite sure what it would be like working with someone who has such a larger-than-life superstar persona, found Gaga to be refreshingly unpretentious and available. And as an actor, he admired her commitment to the character.

含羞草研究社淗er power is in singing and singing a particular way,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淔or her to sacrifice that through character, to do something that people would call a musical, but to not be performing it in the way that would sound best as a singer but to approach it from the character was a very difficult process. I was really impressed with her willingness to do that.含羞草研究社�

In addition to writing a 含羞草研究社渨altz that falls apart含羞草研究社� for the film, Gaga is releasing a companion album, 含羞草研究社淗arlequin含羞草研究社� on Friday with song titles including 含羞草研究社淥h, When the Saints,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淲orld on a String,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淚f My Friends Could See Me Now含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 Life.含羞草研究社�

SORRY PUDDIN含羞草研究社�, THIS AIN含羞草研究社橳 MARGOT ROBBIE含羞草研究社橲 HARLEY QUINN

Much like Phoenix含羞草研究社檚 Joker isn含羞草研究社檛 Heath Ledger含羞草研究社檚 or Jack Nicholson含羞草研究社檚, Gaga含羞草研究社檚 Lee is not the

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e never going to outdo what Margot Robbie did,含羞草研究社� Phillips said. 含羞草研究社淵ou have to do something 180 degrees in the other direction.含羞草研究社�

Sure, Lee will still casually light something on fire to get some time alone with Joker, but the tumult is more internal. And Gaga threw herself into making Lee something new: A real person, grounded in a reality that came before her.

含羞草研究社淚 spent a lot of my time on developing her inner life (which) for me had a lot to do with her storm and what thing was always making her about to explode,含羞草研究社� Gaga said. 含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 a particular kind of danger that she carries with her, but it含羞草研究社檚 inside and it含羞草研究社檚 kind of explosive.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淒O YOU JUST WANT A BRUTE?含羞草研究社�

Brendan Gleeson didn含羞草研究社檛 have much hesitation about joining the ensemble. He含羞草研究社檇 worked with Phoenix before on 含羞草研究社淭he Village含羞草研究社� and was in awe of what he含羞草研究社檇 done on the first movie.

含羞草研究社淗e has an absolute relentless integrity and curiosity and drive,含羞草研究社� Gleeson said. 含羞草研究社淗e won含羞草研究社檛 just plough the same furrow for its own sake.含羞草研究社�

But he also didn含羞草研究社檛 want to play the simple version of an Arkham prison guard.

含羞草研究社淚 said, look, do you just want a brute? Because I含羞草研究社檓 not sure I just want to do a brute,含羞草研究社� Gleeson said. 含羞草研究社淗e wanted something more. We tried to find layers in this guy.含羞草研究社�

CREATING MAYHEM

Anyone who has worked with Phoenix knows that he likes to keep things fresh. That may mean something as small as changing the location of a prop or as big as throwing out choreography that you含羞草研究社檝e been rehearsing for months at the last minute.

含羞草研究社淚 think we both love mayhem and not just in movies but on the set,含羞草研究社� Phillips said. 含羞草研究社淚t had to feel like anything can happen.含羞草研究社�

With the crew 95% the same as the first, everyone was ready to be flexible. Gaga, too, dove right in, suggesting that they sing live on camera.

含羞草研究社淚t changed the whole making of the film,含羞草研究社� Phillips said. 含羞草研究社淲e were not only singing live, we were singing live differently every take.含羞草研究社�

THAT含羞草研究社橲 ENTERTAINMENT?

Since Arthur killed Robert De Niro含羞草研究社檚 talk show host Murray Franklin on live television in the first film, he含羞草研究社檚 become a kind of icon and curiosity thanks in no small part to an oft referenced, but never seen, television movie that was made about him. Now, the trial is going to be televised as well.

含羞草研究社淯nderneath it all, there含羞草研究社檚 this idea of corruption and how everything is corrupt in the system, from the prison system to the judicial system to the idea of entertainment, quite frankly,含羞草研究社� Phillips said. 含羞草研究社淭his idea that in the States at least, everything is entertainment. A court trial could be entertainment, and a presidential election can be entertainment. So, if that含羞草研究社檚 true, what is entertainment?含羞草研究社�

NO LONGER A COMPLETE WILD CARD

It含羞草研究社檚 easier to be to the insurgent, not the incumbent, Phillips said. Although a Joker film is never going to fly completely under the radar, the spotlight is undoubtedly more intense this time around.

含羞草研究社淵ou do feel like you have a larger target on your back,含羞草研究社� Phillips said.

While much of the film was made on Warner Bros. soundstages in Los Angeles, the production did go back to New York to film again on the Bronx staircase (which now come up on Google Maps as the Joker Stairs) and outside a Manhattan courthouse. The production staged a massive protest scene, with Gaga, almost concurrently with the as if there weren含羞草研究社檛 enough eyes on them already.

Some are also handwringing about the sequel含羞草研究社檚 bigger budget and whether it can match the success of the first. But Phillips has learned to take it in stride.

含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 a different amount of pressure, but that just comes with making movies,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淵ou can含羞草研究社檛 please everybody and you just kind of go for it.含羞草研究社�

Gleeson has an even sunnier outlook.

含羞草研究社淚t has kind of arthouse movie integrity on a blockbuster scale. It含羞草研究社檚 great news for cinema, is the way I look on it,含羞草研究社� Gleeson said. 含羞草研究社淚f these event movies can continue to have depth and can be so conflicting like this one, is we needn含羞草研究社檛 worry about the future of cinema.含羞草研究社�

SO, IS IT A MUSICAL?

One thing Phillips didn含羞草研究社檛 mean to do was ignite a discourse about what is and isn含羞草研究社檛 a musical. He含羞草研究社檚 just trying to manage expectations.

含羞草研究社淧eople go, 含羞草研究社榳hat do you mean it含羞草研究社檚 not a musical?含羞草研究社� And it is a musical. It has all the elements of a musical. But I guess what I mean by it is all the musicals I含羞草研究社檝e seen leave me happy at the end for the most part, 含羞草研究社楿mbrellas of Cherbourg含羞草研究社� not being one of them. This has so much sadness in it that I just didn含羞草研究社檛 want to be misleading to people.含羞草研究社�