Premiere date, cast, tickets, Lady Gaga’s album

The anticipated release of “Joker 2: Folie à Deux,” the sequel to “Joker,” is slated to premiere this week with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga.

Joaquin Phoenix will reprise his role as Arthur Fleck — also known as The Joker in the movie. Meanwhile, Lady Gaga will debut Harley Quinn‘s character in the sequel — referred to as Harleen Quinzen.

Here’s what you need to know about the movie’s premiere and how to watch it in Louisville:

When does ‘Joker 2: Folie à Deux’ premiere?

Warner Bros. scheduled the movie’s release for Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

‘Joker 2: Folie à Deux’ movie tickets

Although the movie officially premieres on Friday, websites for Cinemark and AMC Theaters have the option to buy tickets and see the movie a day early.

Here’s where to get movie tickets to watch ‘Joker 2: Folie à Deux’ in Louisville theaters:

‘Joker 2: Folie à Deux’ cast

Here are some of the top cast members for the upcoming movie:

Joaquin Phoenix

Phoenix is reprising his role as Arthur Fleck, also known as The Joker in the movie. Some of his other known titles include “Her” and “Napoleon.”

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga, born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, has well-known music and movie titles to her name. Some of her most famous songs include “Poker Face” and “Born This Way.” As for movies, Gaga has starred in “A Star Is Born” and “House of Gucci.”

Other cast members of the movie include:

What is ‘Joker 2: Folie à Deux’ about?

In “Joker: Folie à Deux,” Arthur Fleck is put on trial for his crimes committed in the original 2019 film. Lady Gaga is introduced as Harley Quinn, the Joker’s love interest.

The movie incorporates musical elements, with the Joker and Harley sometimes breaking into song. But negative reviews argued the musical numbers are underwhelming and Gaga’s talents are not well-utilized.

Watch the ‘Joker 2’ trailer

What have critics said about ‘Joker 2: Folie à Deux’?

The highly anticipated “Joker” sequel premiered last month at the Venice Film Festival, but the first critical reactions are quite mixed. Despite that, “Joker: Folie à Deux” received an 11-minute standing ovation at its Venice premiere, according to Variety.

The film currently holds a 58% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, down from the original’s 69% score. Rotten Tomatoes ratings typically decline as more reviews are added closer to a film’s release.

Here are some reviews from ‘Joker 2: Folie à Deux’:

Deadline

 Deadline’s Pete Hammond said it’s “brilliant.”

Discussing Film

Discussing Film’s Ben Rolph said the sequel “does an exceptional job at following up with an imaginative comic book film unlike any other.”

IndiWire

IndieWire’s David Ehrlich noted that Gaga is relegated to the sidelines for “most of the story in favor of endless trial scenes that literally relitigate the events of the previous film.” Ehrlich described the movie as an “excruciatingly — perhaps even deliberately — boring sequel that does everything in its power not to amuse you,” also panning the “underwhelming” musical numbers.

IGN

IGN’s Siddhant Adlakha said the movie is “not a very interesting” courtroom drama and “too often insists on returning to familiar territory,” adding that it’s “merely an extension of the first film’s plot in the most plodding and literal fashion” and “never quite allows its musical elements to bloom.” He gave the film a 5 out of 10 score.

Screen Rant

 Screen Rant’s Alex Harrison said it’s better than the original because it “has more coherent things to say about fan culture than it or its predecessor does about mental illness” and is also “far less derivative.”

Slashfilm

Bill Bria wrote for Slashfilm that “Folie à Deux” is “the most compelling comic book movie of the year,” and Gaga is a “revelation,” delivering a performance that brings Harley Quinn to life “in a way she never has before.”

The Hollywood Reporter

The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney was mixed in his review, arguing that while the film is “narratively a little thin and at times dull,” Gaga is a “compelling live-wire presence,” and “in the handful of scenes where fantasy liberates her in full-throated glory, the movie soars right along with her.” Rooney disagreed with the idea that Gaga is underused, arguing that “any more of her probably risked tipping ‘Folie à Deux’ into a Harley Quinn origin story.”

The Wrap

The Wrap’s William Bibbiani wrote that the film is “impressively odd,” “genuinely a little daring,” and the “most interesting film about Arthur Fleck.”

Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair’s Richard Lawson said the film is “startlingly dull” and a “pointless procedural that seems to disdain its audience,” noting it feels “cramped” because it takes place almost entirely in the asylum and the courthouse. Lawson also agreed with the consensus that Gaga is “woefully underused” and said director Todd Phillips “wrings nearly every ounce of life out of these moments of song.”

Variety

Gaga is “drastically underused” in the film, said Owen Gleiberman at Variety, who described the sequel as “rather clunky” and “overly cautious” in apparent reaction to the controversy over whether the original sent a dangerous message that could lead to real-world violence.

Vulture

At Vulture, Alison Willmore wrote that the “punishing” film seems “perversely dedicated to eliminating as much pleasure as possible from its song and dance numbers” and is a “waste of (Gaga’s) presence.”

A week ago, Gaga announced a surprise companion album for the film “Joker: Folie à Deux,” which dropped Friday. The album is titled “Harlequin,” a nod to her character of Harley Quinn in the highly anticipated “Joker” sequel.

Gaga shared the album’s cover art on social media, which showed her standing in a shower. In another photo posted on Instagram, a milk carton is seen with what appeared to be the album’s tracklist, suggesting it will feature covers of existing songs included in the movie like “Get Happy.”

This won’t be Gaga’s first album connected to a feature film. In 2018, she performed several original songs for the soundtrack to “A Star Is Born,” the musical drama she starred in alongside Bradley Cooper. The track “Shallow” won the Oscar for best original song.