Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix received a warm reception at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday night, as Todd Phillips’ musical sequel “Joker: Folie à Deux” garnered an impressive 11-minute standing ovation.
Before the premiere, Phoenix arrived early and engaged with fans, posing for selfies. During the event, Phillips borrowed a paper fan from a guest to cool off in the heat. Gaga’s entrance, met with chants of her name, triggered a frenzy among photographers eager for a glimpse of the star. One fan, sporting pink hair, held up a sign that read, “Gaga I just wanna hold your hand for a while.” Due to the complexity of her outfit, Gaga required assistance navigating the crowd while she signed autographs for enthusiastic fans. The premiere attracted notable figures, including CAA CEO Bryan Lourd and Warner Bros. Pictures CEO Mike De Luca.
As Gaga descended from her balcony seat after watching the film, she continued to sign autographs, nearly inciting a stampede of Italian fans, known as “Little Monsters,” who shouted, “Gaga, please! Gaga, please!” in hopes of capturing a selfie.
The overwhelming admiration proved too much for Phoenix, who exited the theater after nine minutes of applause. During this time, he and Gaga were seen engaged in deep conversation, likely discussing the film. Gaga also embraced her fiancé, Michael Polansky, twice amid the jubilant atmosphere.
“Folie à Deux” follows Phillips’ 2019 film “Joker,” which premiered at the same festival and won the Golden Lion. The original film became the sixth-highest grossing movie of its release year and earned Academy Awards for Best Actor for Phoenix and Best Original Score for Hildur Guðnadóttir. It also received 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, marking a milestone as the first DC Comics film to achieve this recognition.
Set two years after the original film, “Folie à Deux” introduces Gaga to the cast and features a unique musical element. The official synopsis reveals that Phoenix’s character, Arthur Fleck, now a patient at Arkham State Hospital, falls for music therapist Lee (Gaga). As they navigate their shared delusions, Arthur’s followers ignite a movement to liberate him.
In a recent interview, Phillips explained that while “Joker” was intended as a standalone film, the prospect of creating a sequel was compelling. “Why do something if it doesn’t scare the shit out of you?” he said. “I’m addicted to risk. It keeps you up at night. It makes your hair fall out. But it’s the sweat that keeps you going.”
Gaga previously graced the Venice Film Festival in 2018 with her work in Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born,” which earned an eight-minute standing ovation, launching its awards campaign.
“Joker 2” also features Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, and Zazie Beetz, and is set to be released in theaters on October 4 by Warner Bros.