Fans of DC Comics and 2019 Joker are full of excitement after getting a first look at Joaquin Phoenix from the set of the upcoming next installment in the series.
Director Todd Phillips shared a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Phoenix in character, believed to be a still from what Phillips noted was "day one" of shooting Joker: Folie À Deux, the 2019 film's long-awaited sequel.
The shot doesn't reveal much of anything about the film's plot or even Phoenix's Joker look for the upcoming film, but it was more than enough to get fans excited regardless.
The pic shows a rail-thin Phoenix, presumably in character as Arthur Fleck, for whom Joker is his alter ego, getting a close shave from what appears to be a staffmember of the Arkham Asylum, where he was institutionalized at the end of the 2019 film.
Phillips captioned the pic:
"Day 1. Our boy. #joker"
Phillips' Instagram shot is atmospherically lit in the same style and color-scheme of the first film, giving it the same mood of dread and anxiety.
But Joker: Folie À Deux is anything but a carbon-copy of Joker.
The sequel is actually a musical, and Phoenix, who won an Oscar for his 2019 portrayal, is joined by fellow Hollywood powerhouses Catherine Keener, Brendan Gleeson and Zazie Beetz.
And he'll be sharing lots of scenes with his love interest Harley Quinn, played by none other than Lady Gaga.
On social media, film and DC fans were palpably excited by the photo.
The 2019 film raked in more than $1 billion back in 2019, and the sequel was almost immediately green-lit a month after its release, before it had even left theaters.
It went on to garner 11 Oscar nominations that year, and win two at the 2020 ceremony. In addition to Phoenix's big Best Actor win, the film also picked up the Academy Award for Best Original Score that year.
The sequel is slated for release in October 2024.
