Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix Performed All Their Songs Live on the Set of ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’

One of the most eagerly awaited sequels of the year, Joker: Folie à Deux, is set to hit theaters on October 4, 2024. As the release date draws near, more details about the film are emerging. Directed and co-written once again by Todd Phillips, the film sees Joaquin Phoenix reprising his role from the original Joker. Joining him is Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, but with a fresh take on her character.

The film has been described as a “jukebox musical,” though Phillips has clarified that it’s not a traditional musical; rather, it features actors singing portions of their dialogue. Despite this, the news that Gaga and Phoenix will perform live on set has captivated fans.

In a recent interview with Variety, Phillips disclosed that no pre-recordings were made; instead, both Phoenix and Gaga sang live during filming. This approach, while ambitious, reportedly created significant challenges for the editing team.

As mentioned, Phillips faces the challenging task of convincing audiences that the upcoming Joker sequel is not a musical. Despite efforts from him and his cast to clarify that the film features sung dialogue rather than traditional musical numbers, the distinction remains subtle. Phoenix addressed this in the Variety interview, stating, “It was important to me that we never perform the songs in the conventional musical style.”

Phillips also shared his thoughts on the matter:

“We didn’t want vibrato and perfect notes. (…) It’s just Arthur not having the words to say what he wants to say, so he sings them instead. (…) Particularly for Joaquin, so much of it is about feeling the moment as you do it. You can’t decide that in a sound studio three weeks before you show up to shoot it.”

Source: Variety

Lady Gaga also shared her perspective on the unconventional music-making process:

“We asked ourselves what would need to be true for two people to just break into song in the middle of a conversation?. Where does the music come from when no one can hear it but the characters? Neither Arthur nor Lee are professional singers and they shouldn’t sound like they are (unless perhaps a fantasy). We wanted to help tell the story of their shared madness in a way that felt real. I think we all have an intimate and personal relationship with music in that there’s a score for our inner emotional lives. A score that no one can usually hear but us. That’s what we tried to capture for Arthur and Lee. The music inside them.”

”Source: Variety

This approach is quite unconventional compared to traditional musicals, and we’re still not entirely convinced. What will be intriguing is how it all comes together in the final film. The editing team had a challenging task, as they had to blend live recordings with music, given that the actors didn’t perform to the music. This might result in a unique and authentic experience. The movie is set to premiere on October 4, 2024. In the meantime, stay tuned for the latest news and updates! Have any thoughts to share? Let us know in the comments below!

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