15 covers are supposedly part of Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga’s new movie. Here, we place our bets (and manifest) on the tunes we want to see storming DC’s universe.
@toddphillips
@toddphillips
Joaquin Phoenix is finally back to grace our screens with a sequel to his critically acclaimed role as the Joker — but this time around, it feels much more La La Land-infused. Sharing screen time with co-star and pop powerhouse Lady Gaga, who portrays Harley Quinn, the new chapter of Todd Phillips’s DC Universe character, Joker: Folie à Deux, will be, against all odds, a musical.
According to Variety, the film leans towards being “mostly a jukebox musical,” with at least 15 covers of well-known songs, including The Jam’s “That’s Entertainment.” Leaked on-set footage also teases that Fred Astaire and Judy Garland’s duet from 1948’s musical Easter Parade, “A Couple of Swells,” will also be included, sung by Gaga. Part of the first movie’s original tracklist is also expected to make a comeback.
Joker: Folie à Deux will be released in theatres on October 4th — but here, we start placing our bets on the hits we would love to see taking over the big screen, serving as the soundtrack for the Joker and Harley Quinn’s borderline disturbed love affair. Keep scrolling…
@toddphillips
@toddphillips
“Dancing Barefoot” — Patti Smith
Picture this: Harley Quinn, dancing in the streets of Gotham City, makeup smudged around her eyes, booze in hand, and anger in her gaze. She has just left the Joker’s place after a horrendous fight. We can’t think of anything better than Patti Smith’s “Dancing Barefoot” for the soundtrack.
Aerosmith — “Living On The Edge”
While we still have no spoilers about what Phoenix has up his sleeves on his musical front, but based on his brilliant performance in Johnny Cash’s biopic Walk The Line (2005), there’s good content coming our way. Considering the messy, unhinged, and chaotic feel of the Joker, Aerosmith’s “Living On The Edge” sounds like a fitting choice for the occasion.
Kay Starr — “Wheel Of Fortune”
“Wheel Of Fortune” is theatrical, dramatic, and, oddly, the perfect background track for the cinematic juxtaposition between the mad, morbid, and the ironic and delusional — a sensation we are constantly invited to experience in The Joker. We can envision Arthur Fleck jumping around to the sounds of Kay Starr… covered in cheap paint and blood and laughing psychotically, of course.
Lesley Gore — “You Don’t Own Me”
Lesley Gore’s 1963 hit “You Don’t Own Me” saw a resurgence in popularity in the mid-2010s, thanks in part to Australian singer-songwriter Grace who released a cover featuring G-Eazy in 2015. Featured in a 2016 trailer for Suicide Squad, a 2017 episode of Riverdale, and in playlists to this date, it has become as well-known today as it was in the mid-1960s. We think it’s about time for another rendition, and Lady Gaga could be the perfect candidate to put her own spin on the classic. And given its themes on independence and control, it could be a fit for Joker: Folie à Deux.
The Doors — “People Are Strange”
Featured in the 2019 soundtrack for The Joker, “People Are Strange” by The Doors could be making a comeback in Joker: Folie à Deux. The 1967 hit touches on alienation and feeling like an outsider…. Definitely appropriate here.
Mazzy Star — “Fade Into You”
Another one for Gaga — Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You,” for those who feel passion deeply and, at times, confuse it with… obsession? We would love to see the pop icon interpret such a classic love anthem.
Tears for Fears — “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”
The 1985 new wave hit is all about the desire for control and power. Highly political, the track discusses corruption and reflects on systemic failures. Though we don’t know too much about the plot of Joker: Folie à Deux yet, we can be sure it will cover topics such as mental illness, trauma, and the viscous cycle of victim to perpetrator that is all too common when a society fails its people.
