Joker: Pas de Deux director Todd Philips recently revealed why he chose Lady Gaga to play the role of Harley Quinn.
Speaking at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on April 9, he recalled the film's early casting and said he wanted Gaga to play the role "because she's magical."
“I was a producer on ‘A Star Is Born,’ ” continued Philips, who directed 2019’s “Joker.” "That was the first time I actually met her and watched her work. As we were writing this script, Scott [Silver], who wrote the script with me, kept coming back to her."
The sequel, which will be released on October 4, stars Joaquin Phoenix as the titular villain opposite Gaga (real name Stefani Germanotta). Plus plays his on-screen love interest Harley Quinn. At CinemaCon, Philips debuted the first trailer for the highly anticipated musical.
" Joker 2" trailer
The trailer opens with the Joker and Harley in Arkham Asylum. "Let's get out of here," Gaga's character says, and the two escape the facility and begin a chaotic transformation into their clown-faced alter egos.
Later clips show the couple dancing on a rooftop, bonding over song and dance. Play a cover of "What the World Needs Now Is Love." They then walked up the courthouse stairs, past a group of so-called protesters, hosted a TV variety show called "Joker & Harley," and walked through the streets of Gotham City.
Many fans, including Gaga's Little Monsters fans, were quick to comment on the two-minute trailer. One user wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that they were ready for Gaga's "human version of Harley Quinn," while another declared her performance "phenomenal."
"Whoever cast Lady Gaga in a psychological thriller x musical is a genius!" another fan commented. " Joker 2 is truly the movie she was born to star in. Every step of her career has led to this moment."
