Brendan Gleeson reveals why he joined Joker 2

Brendan Gleeson
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Brendan Gleeson has revealed the reason why he signed on to play an undisclosed role in Joker: Folie a Deux.

"It wasn’t the material, which is a great way to get me out of having to answer any questions about the criteria. It was the achievement of the first film," Gleeson explained in an interview with Collider. "I worked with Joaquin before on The Village...And so I knew him from then. And that performance, I’m still in awe of it. That performance as Joker, in that first movie. It was one of the most extraordinary achievements I’ve ever had. And for Todd to have – worked the movie around to allow for that, I didn’t have to be asked twice. I really didn’t."

Joker ended with Phoenix's Arthur Fleck being arrested and taken to Arkham Asylum, so it's likely that the black-comedy musical sequel will take place inside the institution with the villain meeting Harley Quinn, played by Lady Gaga. Catherine Keener and Jacob Lofland have also been added to the cast, with Zazie Beetz returning to reprise her role as single mother Sophie Dumond.

Gleeson recently hosted Saturday Night Live to promote his new drama, The Banshees of Inisherin, which sees him reunite with In Bruges director Martin McDonagh and co-star Colin Farrell.

Joker: Folie à Deux is officially set to hit theaters on October 4, 2024. Filming is expected to start at the end of year, shooting in both Los Angeles and New York.

For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2022 and beyond, or, skip right to the good stuff with our list of movie release dates.

Lauren Milici
Senior Writer, Tv & Film

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for 12DOVE currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.