4 new insights into Joker 2 by director Todd Phillips, from a new Harley Quinn to the sequel’s humongous budget. Hollywood

Joker 2 aka Joker: Folie à Deux has generated a lot of excitement among DC Universe fans with its trailer. Todd Phillips recently talked about the risks involved in filmmaking, Joaquin Phoenix’s dedication, and the challenges of working on the psychological-thriller. In an interview with Variety, the filmmaker shared insights about his upcoming crime action saga. Here are four new facts about Joker 2. (Also read: Joker 2 trailer: Internet calls Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga film ‘La La Land for insane people’)

Todd Phillips justifies Joker 2’s expensive budget

The filmmaker dismissed reports of Joker: Folie à Deux having a $200 million budget. While the original Joker cost $60 million, Todd admitted the sequel is much more expensive. He said, “I read these stories, and it seems like they’re on the side of the multinational corporations,” Phillips says. “They’re like, ‘Why does it cost so much?’ They sound like studio executives. Shouldn’t people be happy that we got this money out of them, and we used it to go hire a bunch of crew people who can then feed their families?”

Todd Phillips equates Joker 2 to inmates running asylum

The sequel to Joker once again goes into darker themes like Taxi Driver (1976) as it showcases prison riots, courtroom faceoffs, anarchy and rebellion. Todd explains his frenzied approach by stating that the goal of his film is to create a sense that it was made by “crazy individuals.” He stresses on the impression of inmates running an asylum.

Todd Phillips explains why Joker 2 has music

Joaquin’s Arthur and Lady’s Harlen Lee Quinzel perform songs like “Get Happy,” “For Once in My Life,” and “That’s Life” in the movie. However, Todd doesn’t want to categorize Joker: Folie à Deux as a musical. He explains that most of the music in the psychological thriller consists of dialogues. Arthur, the main character, uses singing as a way to convey his emotions because he struggles to express them through words.

Todd Phillips calls Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn grounded

In his upcoming film, Todd has not only reimagined the character of the Joker, but has also provided a new perspective on Harley Quinn. According to the filmmaker, unlike Margot Robbie’s “gum-chewing” and sassy gestures in Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey, Lady Gaga’s depiction is more grounded, despite being manipulative. He also reveals that he initially considered pairing Arthur with a female Joker.