Francine Maisler is one of Hollywood’s most prolific casting directors. One of her upcoming projects has cast a megastar, but Maisler reveals it wasn’t all her idea.
During a recent interview, Maisler spoke about her work on Joker: Folie à Deux and the conversation turned to Lady Gaga. The singer-turned-actress will star in the film as the iconic Harley Quinn alongside Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, and we’ve learned some new details as Maisler tells Deadline that Gaga will be one to watch this fall, even if it wasn’t her idea to cast her.
“She’s going to blow your mind,” Maisler reveals. “I didn’t suggest Lady Gaga. It wasn’t my idea. That was Todd Phillips before me. But I will tell you, she’s really surprising — and really good. I saw it, and I was really surprised. Joaquin blows your mind, but that she could keep up with him and be real — and not just wiped off the screen by what that role is and what the performance is — shows she’s good.”
We’ll see Lady Gaga in total clown madness alongside Joaquin Phoenix reprising his Oscar winning role as The Joker when the sequel opens this October.
Joaquin Phoenix reprises his Oscar-winning role as Arthur Fleck/Joker, along with Zazie Beetz’s Sophie, while other new additions to the cast for the sequel include Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born) as Harley Quinn and Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin), Harry Lawtey (Industry), Catherine Keener (The Adam Project), Jacob Lofland (Mud), Steve Coogan (Philomena) and Ken Leung (Lost) in as-yet-unrevealed roles.
The new film carries an R rating for “strong violence, language throughout, some sexuality, and brief full nudity,” per the MPA.
Joker: Folie À Deux is slated to release on October 4th, 2024.
