New Joker: Folie à Deux Images Show Off A Star-Crossed Joaquin Phoenix And Lady Gaga

Even now, almost 5 years removed, it's hard to believe that "Joker" actually exists and turned out to be so wildly successful at the box office. The R-rated picture didn't even try to hide how hard it was cribbing from Martin Scorsese classics like "The King of Comedy" and "Taxi Driver," but audiences flocked to the provocative Todd Phillips-directed standalone film on the strength of its moody tone, the utter strangeness of the trailers, and the Joaquin Phoenix effect. After cracking the vaunted billion-dollar threshold, it was only a matter of time before a sequel was fast-tracked and, this time, the Joker (aka Arthur Fleck) will be joined by someone just as unhinged as himself in "Joker: Folie à Deux" – Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn.

The movie hasn't yet ramped up its marketing muscle ahead of its release later this year, but that hasn't stopped Phillips from releasing images from the sequel every now on then on social media. He's at it yet again, giving fans a fresh look at both lovers just in time for Valentine's Day. In a new Instagram post, the director included the caption "Hoping your day is full of love" along with three striking pictures of Gotham's most certifiable bachelor and bachelorette.

The first "Joker" may not have caused the breakdown of society as we know it, as some reactionaries thought it might, but who knows how much wilder and more intense this oddball sequel could get? For better or worse, we have plenty of time to prepare ourselves. "Joker: Folie à Deux" will slow-dance its way into theaters October 4, 2024.