That first Joker film had resonated in a way that no one quite expected: It made over $US1 billion ($A1.5 billion) at the box office and won Joaquin Phoenix the best actor Oscar. One of its fans was Lady Gaga, who said that it "really deeply moved me" and showed her something she had never seen before.
The streets outside the Sala Grande theatre were packed on Wednesday with Gaga fans hoping to catch a glimpse of her on the red carpet. Gaga arrived wearing a Christian Dior Haute Couture gown and an elaborate Philip Treacy headpiece that was evocative of a funeral veil.
Joaquin Phoenix arrives for the premiere of 'Joker: Folie a Deux' at the Venice Film Festival. (EPA PHOTO)
Joker: Folie à Deux finds' Phoenix's Arthur Fleck institutionalised and awaiting trial for his crimes. The last film ended after he shoots late night host Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro) on live television, which has made him a God to a certain set, including Gaga's Harley Quinn who he meets in a different ward. The two fall immediately in love and take to song to express themselves.
Both Phoenix and Gaga sang live for the film, with a pianist just off camera who, she said, felt like another actor in the scene in a way.
"For me it was kind of about unlearning technique and forgetting how to breathe and allowing the song to come completely out of the character," Gaga said.
"It gives the characters a way to express what they need to say."
Phoenix, who initially baulked at the idea of singing live, added: "Part of the joy at least for me was taking these songs that were standards and trying to find a way that they were specific to the characters."
They also learned various choreography over the course of months for several different numbers, including a waltz in the rain. But even with the training and practice, they said, things had a tendency to change in the moment.
"We all really thrived in the moment and in the chaos of it all," Gaga said.
"We had to find it every day. What was the truth of the scene, what was the honest moment."
She added: "You can learn a song, learn a routine for a dance … but that's not always the most honest thing to do on camera."
Gaga made a grand entrance to the Lido on Wednesday several hours before the red-carpet premiere. Fans and photographers clamoured around the docks outside of the Excelsior Hotel hoping to catch a glimpse of her arriving. She popped her head out of the private water taxi, alongside Phillips and Phoenix, as fans nearby shouted "Gaga! Gaga! Gaga!" in unison.
On the dock, she blew kisses to the excitable fans, stopped to sign several autographs, and accepted flowers from one eager onlooker. She wore an elegant black Dior Haute Couture dress, beret and sunglasses offsetting her blonde hair.
Reviews for the new film will be out in a few hours, which could dictate the trajectory of the film for months to come and whether or not it is once again an Oscar contender or another billion-dollar box office hit.
The Joker sequel is competing again for the festival's main prizes against the likes of Pedro Almodóvar's The Room Next Door, Luca Guadagnino's Queer, Pablo Larraín's Maria and Halina Reijn's Babygirl. Awards will be presented on the final day of the festival on Saturday.
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