害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� is a hard act to follow. Todd Phillips害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所檛 for everyone, but it got under people害羞草研究所檚 skin.

Knowing that it was a fool害羞草研究所檚 errand to try to do it again, Phillips and Phoenix pivoted, or rather, pirouetted into what would become 害羞草研究所� .害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所檚 that the scarier something is, the better. So once again they rebelled against expectations and went for broke with something that害羞草研究所檚 already sharply divided critics.

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

害羞草研究所淗OW ARE YOU GOING TO GET JOAQUIN PHOENIX TO DO A SEQUEL?害羞草研究所�

Any comic book movie that makes a billion dollars is going to have the sequel talk. But with 害羞草研究所淛oker害羞草研究所� it was never a given that it would go anywhere: Joaquin Phoenix doesn害羞草研究所檛 do sequels. Yet it turned out, Phoenix wasn害羞草研究所檛 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 害羞草研究所淥ne Flew Over the Cuckoo害羞草研究所檚 Nest害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淵entl害羞草研究所� with the Joker in them and showed them to Phillips.

害羞草研究所淪ometimes you害羞草研究所檙e just done with something and other times you have an ongoing interest,害羞草研究所� Phoenix said. 害羞草研究所淭here was just more to explore. 害羞草研究所� I just felt like we weren害羞草研究所檛 done.害羞草研究所�

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

害羞草研究所淛oaquin Phoenix is not going to do a line drive. He害羞草研究所檚 not going to do something that害羞草研究所檚 fan service,害羞草研究所� Phillips said. 害羞草研究所淗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.害羞草研究所�

LADY GAGA FINDS LEE害羞草研究所橲 VOICE, AND LOSES HER OWN

One decision that害羞草研究所檚 already sparking debate is casting someone with a voice like Lady Gaga害羞草研究所檚 and not using that instrument to its full power. Phillips, who was a producer on 害羞草研究所淎 Star is Born,害羞草研究所� wanted someone who 害羞草研究所渂rought music with them.害羞草研究所� But Lee isn害羞草研究所檛 a singer.

害羞草研究所淪inging is so second nature to me, and making music and performing on stage is so inside of me. Especially this music,害羞草研究所� Gaga said. 害羞草研究所淚 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.害羞草研究所�

Phoenix, who wasn害羞草研究所檛 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.

害羞草研究所淗er power is in singing and singing a particular way,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淔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.害羞草研究所�

In addition to writing a 害羞草研究所渨altz that falls apart害羞草研究所� for the film, Gaga is releasing a companion album, 害羞草研究所淗arlequin害羞草研究所� on Friday with song titles including 害羞草研究所淥h, When the Saints,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淲orld on a String,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淚f My Friends Could See Me Now害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 Life.害羞草研究所�

SORRY PUDDIN害羞草研究所�, THIS AIN害羞草研究所橳 MARGOT ROBBIE害羞草研究所橲 HARLEY QUINN

Much like Phoenix害羞草研究所檚 Joker isn害羞草研究所檛 Heath Ledger害羞草研究所檚 or Jack Nicholson害羞草研究所檚, Gaga害羞草研究所檚 Lee is not the

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e never going to outdo what Margot Robbie did,害羞草研究所� Phillips said. 害羞草研究所淵ou have to do something 180 degrees in the other direction.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淚 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,害羞草研究所� Gaga said. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 a particular kind of danger that she carries with her, but it害羞草研究所檚 inside and it害羞草研究所檚 kind of explosive.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淒O YOU JUST WANT A BRUTE?害羞草研究所�

Brendan Gleeson didn害羞草研究所檛 have much hesitation about joining the ensemble. He害羞草研究所檇 worked with Phoenix before on 害羞草研究所淭he Village害羞草研究所� and was in awe of what he害羞草研究所檇 done on the first movie.

害羞草研究所淗e has an absolute relentless integrity and curiosity and drive,害羞草研究所� Gleeson said. 害羞草研究所淗e won害羞草研究所檛 just plough the same furrow for its own sake.害羞草研究所�

But he also didn害羞草研究所檛 want to play the simple version of an Arkham prison guard.

害羞草研究所淚 said, look, do you just want a brute? Because I害羞草研究所檓 not sure I just want to do a brute,害羞草研究所� Gleeson said. 害羞草研究所淗e wanted something more. We tried to find layers in this guy.害羞草研究所�

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害羞草研究所檝e been rehearsing for months at the last minute.

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

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.

害羞草研究所淚t changed the whole making of the film,害羞草研究所� Phillips said. 害羞草研究所淲e were not only singing live, we were singing live differently every take.害羞草研究所�

THAT害羞草研究所橲 ENTERTAINMENT?

Since Arthur killed Robert De Niro害羞草研究所檚 talk show host Murray Franklin on live television in the first film, he害羞草研究所檚 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.

害羞草研究所淯nderneath it all, there害羞草研究所檚 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,害羞草研究所� Phillips said. 害羞草研究所淭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害羞草研究所檚 true, what is entertainment?害羞草研究所�

NO LONGER A COMPLETE WILD CARD

It害羞草研究所檚 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.

害羞草研究所淵ou do feel like you have a larger target on your back,害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所檛 enough eyes on them already.

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

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 a different amount of pressure, but that just comes with making movies,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淵ou can害羞草研究所檛 please everybody and you just kind of go for it.害羞草研究所�

Gleeson has an even sunnier outlook.

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

SO, IS IT A MUSICAL?

One thing Phillips didn害羞草研究所檛 mean to do was ignite a discourse about what is and isn害羞草研究所檛 a musical. He害羞草研究所檚 just trying to manage expectations.

害羞草研究所淧eople go, 害羞草研究所榳hat do you mean it害羞草研究所檚 not a musical?害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所檝e seen leave me happy at the end for the most part, 害羞草研究所楿mbrellas of Cherbourg害羞草研究所� not being one of them. This has so much sadness in it that I just didn害羞草研究所檛 want to be misleading to people.害羞草研究所�