‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Receives 11-Minute Standing Ovation at Venice Premiere

Five years after Joker took home the top prize at the Venice Film Festival, director Todd Phillips returned to the festival with its much-anticipated sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux. The film premiered on Wednesday to an 11-minute standing ovation at the Sala Grande theater, where stars Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga took center stage.

“It feels right to be back in Venice,” Phillips said before the premiere. “But I’m more nervous this time. It’s easier to come in as the insurgent than as the incumbent.”

Joker: Folie à Deux picks up where the 2019 film left off, with Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck institutionalized after his infamous televised murder of talk show host Murray Franklin, played by Robert De Niro. In the sequel, Fleck’s chaotic persona has earned him a devoted following, including Harley Quinn, portrayed by Lady Gaga. Their shared madness plays out through musical numbers, with both Phoenix and Gaga performing live vocals during the film’s shoot.

“For me, it was about unlearning technique and letting the character’s emotions shape the music,” Gaga explained. “Singing live added an honesty to the scenes.”

The film’s musical element adds a new layer of audacity to the Joker story, which has already defied expectations. The original film grossed over $1 billion globally and won Phoenix the Academy Award for Best Actor. Gaga, a fan of the first film, said she was deeply moved by it and was eager to join the sequel.

Fans crowded the streets outside the theater, hoping to catch a glimpse of Gaga. She arrived in a Christian Dior Haute Couture gown paired with a striking Philip Treacy headpiece reminiscent of a funeral veil, giving her entrance a dramatic flair. Earlier in the day, she made waves at the Venice Lido, arriving in a private water taxi to cheers of “Gaga! Gaga!” from enthusiastic fans.

In Folie à Deux, Gaga’s Harley Quinn is an inmate in the same institution as Fleck. The two characters quickly fall in love and express their connection through song and dance, including a waltz performed in the rain. Despite months of rehearsal, both actors embraced improvisation, allowing the unpredictability of the moment to guide their performances.

“We thrived in the chaos,” Gaga said. “The truth of each scene was something we discovered as we went.”

Phoenix, who was initially hesitant to sing live, echoed her sentiments. “It was about finding a way to make these songs specific to our characters,” he said.

While reviews for Joker: Folie à Deux are yet to be released, expectations are high for another potential Oscar contender. The film is competing against heavyweights like Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door and Luca Guadagnino’s Queer for Venice’s top prize, which will be announced on September 7.

Phillips acknowledged the pressure, noting that it’s different coming back with a sequel to such a widely acclaimed film. “The hard part of this is you feel eyeballs on you,” he said. “There’s a different kind of pressure this time around.”

Gaga’s appearance at Venice has already created a stir, continuing her tradition of show-stopping festival moments, much like her A Star Is Born debut six years ago. As the festival continues, all eyes will be on Folie à Deux to see if it can match or surpass the success of its predecessor.