Appropriate to the animation origins of lead character Harley Quinn, who first appeared in Bruce Timm’s Batman: The Animated Series, the new DC drama Joker: Folie à Deux will open with a “Looney Tunes-inspired cartoon” featuring Joker created by multi-Oscar-nominated animator Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Belleville, The Illusionist).
The colorful opener was revealed in Variety‘s interview with director Todd Phillips (Joker), who describes his vision for the sequel: “The goal of this movie is to make it feel like it was made by crazy people. The inmates are running the asylum.” The film will release on October 4.
The live-action film from DC and Warner Bros. unites The Joker (Joaquin Phoenix) and Harley (Lady Gaga) in a musical psychological thriller. The story begins with Arthur Fleck/The Joker locked up in Arkham State Hospital after the events of Joker, where he falls for music therapist Harleen “Lee” Quinzel. As their romance blooms through their shared delusions, Arthur’s followers push for his freedom.
French animation filmmaker Chomet is best known to cinephiles for his 2003 film The Triplets of Belleville, for which he was nominated for Best Animated Feature and Original Song (“Belleville Rendez-Vous,” with Benoit Charest) by the Academy Awards. This was followed by The Illusionist (2010), based on an unproduced script by French comedy legend Jacques Tati, which earned another Best Animated Feature nod from the Academy as well as winning the César Award for Best Animated Film. Chomet also won international awards recognition for his 1996 short The Old Lady and the Pigeon.
Outside his own projects, Chomet notably directed the live-action “Tour Eiffel” segment for Paris je t’aime (2006). He also animated one of the iconic “cough gag” segments on The Simpsons, for the Season 25 episode “Diggs” (2014).
Chomet’s latest animated feature, The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol, was picked up for multiple territories (including North America) by Sony Pictures Classics at the Cannes Market in 2022, and by Picturehouse Entertainment for U.K. & Ireland at the most recent edition; Elle Driver is the agency. The film revisits the life of celebrated filmmaker and playwright Marcel Pagnol, who as his memory fails in his later days is visited by his own childhood self and embarks on a journey back through his many incredible experiences.
The Pagnol project is produced by Onyx Films, What The Prod, Bidibul Productions and Walking The Dog. Producers are Ashargin Poire and Valerie Puech for What the Prod; Co-producers are Lilian Eche’s Bidibul Productions, Adrian Politowski’s Align and Aton Soumache for ON Classics (Mediawan Kids & Family), in collaboration with Nicolas Pagnol from Pagnol’s Estate.
