Joker is back, this time with Lady Gaga — and songs

AP Film Writer

VENICE, Italy (AP) — “Joker” is a hard act to follow. Todd Phillips’ dark, Scorsese-inspired character study about the Batman villain made over a billion dollars at the box office, won Joaquin Phoenix his first Oscar, dominated the cultural discourse for months and created a new movie landmark. Knowing that it was a fool’s errand to try to do it again, Phillips and Phoenix pivoted to “Joker: Folie à Deux,” a dark and fantastical musical journey that goes deeper into the mind of Arthur Fleck as he awaits trial for murder and falls in love with a fellow Arkham inmate, Lee, played by Lady Gaga. It hits theaters Oct. 4.