'Joker' Director Todd Phillips Shares First Look at Joaquin Phoenix in 'Folie á Deux' Sequel: 'Our Boy'

Joaquin Phoenix is preparing his award-winning smile for another close-up.

The Academy Award winner, 48, slips back into character as Arthur Fleck (a.k.a. Joker) in a first-look photo from the upcoming musical sequel Joker: Folie á Deux, which writer-director Todd Phillips shared Saturday on Instagram.

"Day 1. Our boy. #joker," Phillips, 51, captioned the image, which shows Phoenix's shirtless Fleck getting a shave with his head tilted back over a sink at Arkham Asylum.

The setting paves the way for his character to fall in love and team up with Dr. Harleen Quinzel (a.k.a. Harley Quinn), the beloved DC role in which Lady Gaga was cast in August. She confirmed the casting news and an Oct. 4, 2024 release date.

Margot Robbie, who played Harley in both Suicide Squad movies and 2020's Birds of Prey, said in October that she's "so happy" to see Gaga, 36, taking on the role.

"It's such an honor to have built a foundation strong enough that Harley can now be one of those characters who other actors get to have a go at playing," Robbie told MTV. "And I think she'll do something incredible with it."

Phoenix teased a potential sequel last October after Phillips was in talks to helm a follow-up to the film that grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.

"I mean, I dunno. From when we were shooting, we started to — you know, uhh, this is an interesting guy," Phoenix told The Playlist. "There are some things we could do with this guy and could [explore] further. But as to whether we actually will? I don't know."

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After winning his first Academy Award for his performance in Joker, Phoenix will reportedly receive a $20 million paycheck for the sequel, according to Variety, following his $4.5 million payday for the original installment.

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Phoenix was first seen reading the sequel's script over a cigarette in a black-and-white photo posted by Phillips in July, along with the red cover page for Folie á Deux.

Joker: Folie á Deux premieres Oct. 4, 2024 in theaters.