‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ will be Rated R for ‘strong violence’ and ‘brief full nudity’

Jordan Hoffman
·3 min read
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Todd Phillips’s hotly anticipated supervillain sequel “Joker: Folie à Deux” has secured itself an R rating from the MPA, as per Deadline. This is not too much of a surprise, as the 2019 smash “Joker” remains the top-grossing R-rated picture in history. (This year’s Oscar-winning Best Picture “Oppenheimer” came within blasting range, but short by a few bucks.) Somewhat surprising, however, was the reason given by the “we’re not a censorship organization” censorship organization. 

In addition to “strong violence” (and you may remember the brutal, close-range way Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck blasted Robert De Niro’s Murray Franklin in the first film), “language” (sure), and “some sexuality” (okay), the group cited “brief full nudity.” Full, eh? Just how much of a clown show will we be seeing here?

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“Joker: Folie à Deux”’s big draw for most audiences will be Lady Gaga’s turn as Harlene Quinzel (aka Harley Quinn) the Bugs Bunny-like psychiatrist who falls in love with the Clown Prince of Crime. Margot Robbie played the fan-favorite character in the “Suicide Squad” and “Birds of Prey” films, while Kaley Cuoco voices her in the not-for-kids animated series. Harley Quiin was initially voiced by Arleen Sorkin in “Batman: The Animated Series” in 1999, the character’s origin—a rare case of a comic book mainstay springing not from a funnybook, but from ancillary media. Remember this in case it ever comes up in bar trivia. 

Phillips, whose career started with controversial documentaries like “Frat House” (deleted by HBO after winning at Sundance) and “Bittersweet Motel,” a portrait of the group Phish so reviled by the band that its leader, Trey Anastasio, felt compelled to allow a second documentary about himself, did not initially have a sequel in place with Warner Bros. when “Joker” was first released. After its unexpected win of the top prize at the Venice Film Festival, box office triumph, the transformation of a Bronx staircase into a neighborhood nuisance, Oscars for Joaquin Phoenix and composer Hildur Guðnadóttir plus nine other nominations including Best Picture, Phillips eventually put pen to paper, announcing a deal in 2022. 

It was recently announced that the film will have at least 15 well-known songs in it, and images of Phoenix and Gaga dancing were released. Yes, the possibility for Lady Gaga to sing one of her own songs—perhaps even changing the lyrics to “Joker Face”—is real. The movie hits theaters on October 4, suggesting a return to Venice in late August/early September for its debut. The first trailer for the film will arrive next week.

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