Among countless Harley Quinn iterations we've seen across different media, Lady Gaga's version stands out among the rest, that's according to Joker 2 director Todd Phillips. Joker: Folie à Deux introduces the complete opposite of Birds of Prey's Cupid of Chaos.
Joker 2 Director 'Stripped' Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn of Her Essence
No one thought a Joker sequel would be in order, until film writer and director Todd Phillips confirmed it in June 2022.
Apart from the exploration of a musical genre in the sequel, hiring singer-actress Lady Gaga as the franchise's Harley Quinn pretty much shows fans how the flick plans on introducing Gotham's infamous partners in crime.
Despite the divisive fan reactions when DC first pinned Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn starring alongside Joaquin Phoenix's Joker in the sequel, Folie à Deux helmer Todd Phillips shared another key factor on how this Cupid of Chaos shines without stealing the spotlight.
"The high voice, that accent, the gum-chewing, and all that sort of sassy stuff that's in the comics, we stripped that away," Phillips recently explained, "We wanted her to fit into this world of Gotham that we created from the first movie."
This is not the first time that Harley Quinn has been portrayed in a different light, but it does urge comparisons between Margot Robbie's version from Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey.
If anything, it's similar to how Jamie Chung's Dr. Harleen Quinzel was depicted in the animated Batman: Caped Crusader on Prime: a lighthearted psychologist who hid her own psychotic persona in a gold and green costume behind the scenes.
Then again, it is only fitting for the A Star is Born actress to take the female lead in the sequel, considering that Joker: Folie à Deux is a musical.
However, Phoenix took note to remind fans what Joker 2 is really all about, and it has something to do with authenticity, "It was important to me that we never perform the songs as one typically does in a musical. We didn't want vibrato and perfect notes."
READ NEXT: Joker: Folie à Deux to Open with Looney Tunes-Inspired Animated Sequence
Meanwhile, Joker: Folie à Deux is set to arrive in theaters this October 4.
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