FOLIE A DEUX a musical comedy

At a recent press conference for Joker: Folie à Deux in Venice, superstar Lady Gaga shared some surprising thoughts about the upcoming sequel, which stars opposite Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck.

“I wouldn’t say it’s really a musical, in a lot of ways,” said the singer, who plays Harley Quinn in the film. “It’s very different. The way the music is used is to give the characters a way to express what they need to say, because the stage and the dialogue aren’t enough.”

Some X-rated users criticized her comment, as this is how musicals are typically defined on stage and on screen. In a previous interview with Variety , it was revealed that Phoenix and Gaga sang live on set, a departure from the usual practice of lip-synching to pre-recorded tracks. The decision came out of a desire for authenticity, allowing the performers to make acting and musical choices in the moment. Check out the video with her comments below, courtesy of Deadline.

As previously announced, the upcoming film features many musical sequences reminiscent of classic MGM musicals. Get Happy, For Once in My Life and That’s Life are among the songs confirmed to feature in the film.

In another interview with Empire Magazine, Gaga explained how her approach to singing as Harley Quinn differs from her approach to singing her own music: “When I breathe to sing on stage, I have this very controlled way of making sure that I’m on pitch and that it’s held at the right pace and for the right length, but Lee would never know how to do all that.

In addition to Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix, the film’s cast includes Emmy nominee Zazie Beetz and Oscar nominees Catherine Keener and Brendan Gleeson.

Oscar-nominated director Todd Phillips, who also produced 2019’s A Star Is Born, starring Lady Gaga, is directing from the screenplay he co-wrote with Scott Silver.

In the Batman canon, Harley Quinn (Gaga) begins her journey as Dr. Harleen Quinzel, a therapist at Arkham Asylum who falls in love with the Joker and joins him as his often-abused love interest and villainous sidekick. Todd Phillips’ original 2019 film left the film’s central character, Arthur Fleck/Joker, at Arkham State Hospital.

Joker: Folie à Deux hits theaters on October 4. Check out a newly released clip below.