One of the stars of Joker: Folie à Deux has revealed that Joaquin Phoenix FaceTimed his mother in character as a prank on the set of the film.
The upcoming movie is a sequel to 2019’s Joker and is released in cinemas on October 4, after receiving its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month.
It catches up with Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck, aka the Joker, while he is a patient at a mental health facility after the events of the first film, where he falls in love with Lady Gaga’s Harleen ‘Lee’ Quinzel, aka Harley Quinn.
Industry’s Harry Lawtey plays Harvey Dent in the film, and in a new interview with Variety, he revealed that Phoenix, who stayed in full makeup throughout filming, suggested they create a memorable experience for Lawtey’s mum during their time together on set.
“Joaquin suggested, as a joke, that we FaceTime my mum and scare her,” he said. “My mum was in England, so it was quite late, and she was getting ready for bed. And I said, ‘Hello,’ and then I brought the phone up to my face, and Joaquin put his head on my shoulder. My mum screamed, ran away and woke up my dad.”
Much has also been made of the film’s embrace of the musical genre, with director Todd Phillips‘s decision being hailed by Gaga as “a very big swing”, while she also praised the film’s “audacity and complexity”.
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In a four-star review of Folie à Deux, NME wrote: “As with the original movie, the film looks gorgeous throughout, with cinematographer Lawrence Sher making strong use of colour and conjuring up some beautiful images – highlights include an overhead shot of some umbrellas (referencing Jacques Demy’s 1964 musical The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg) and a stunningly lit frame of Arthur lighting a cigarette in his prison cell that resembles a lovingly illustrated comic book panel.
“In short, Phillips and Silver have delivered the last thing anyone expected: a socially responsible Joker movie that finds an intriguing way to explore the consequences (both on and offscreen) of the first film. Joker fans shouldn’t cry too hard though – Warner Bros. have cleverly found a way to leave the door open a little for the franchise to continue, should the need arise.”
Last month, Phillips suggested that Folie à Deux will be the final film in his Joker franchise: “It was fun to play in this sort of sandbox for two movies, but I think we’ve said what we wanted to say in this world.”
He also revealed that scenes from the film were “very often” re-written in Phoenix’s trailer at the last minute during the shooting of the film.