Joker Star Explains Why Her Character Wasn't Killed
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"Actor Zazie Beetz, who played Sophie Dumond in the 2019 hit Joker, claimed she never believed her character would die at the hands of Arthur Fleck.
"In my mind, she lives because she never actively wronged Arthur," Beetz said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "His victims in the film were generally people that pointedly hurt him. Even within the horror of his realization around his own state of mind, he acknowledges that she's more of a bystander to his situation than an actor to his situation. So she makes it out unscathed, at least physically."
Sophie was a single mother who lived on the same apartment floor as Penny Fleck and her son Arthur, whom Sophie met during a brief elevator ride. Though their first interaction was short-lived, Arthur soon began to harbor an unhealthy obsession with Sophie, as seen when he stalked her during her morning commute to her workplace. As he became increasingly unstable throughout the events of Joker, Arthur started to hallucinate scenarios wherein she offered him emotional support, despite how the real Sophie wasn't even sure of his name. When Arthur realized his relationship with her was a fabrication, it likely contributed to his transformation into the Joker.
While it remains unclear if Beetz will revisit her character in a future project, director Todd Phillips confirmed actor Joaquin Phoenix will be returning to play the role of Arthur in the upcoming sequel musical film. In a post to social media, Phillips claimed Phoenix was already in possession of the script for the next entry for Joker, which the director additionally revealed was given the working title Joker: Folie à Deux. The official Instagram account for Joker also announced Phoenix will be joined by singer Stefani Germanotta, known professionally as Lady Gaga, who will be playing Joker's beloved partner in crime Harley Quinn.
An industry insider previously claimed Folie à Deux will take place in Arkham State Hospital, which was the movie's take on the DC Comics' notorious Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane. Further details regarding Joker: Folie à Deux's storyline and cast members remain scarce, as the film is still in development and reportedly scheduled for production in December 2022.
Joker: Folie À Deux waltzes into theaters on Oct. 4, 2024."
"In my mind, she lives because she never actively wronged Arthur," Beetz said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "His victims in the film were generally people that pointedly hurt him. Even within the horror of his realization around his own state of mind, he acknowledges that she's more of a bystander to his situation than an actor to his situation. So she makes it out unscathed, at least physically."
Sophie was a single mother who lived on the same apartment floor as Penny Fleck and her son Arthur, whom Sophie met during a brief elevator ride. Though their first interaction was short-lived, Arthur soon began to harbor an unhealthy obsession with Sophie, as seen when he stalked her during her morning commute to her workplace. As he became increasingly unstable throughout the events of Joker, Arthur started to hallucinate scenarios wherein she offered him emotional support, despite how the real Sophie wasn't even sure of his name. When Arthur realized his relationship with her was a fabrication, it likely contributed to his transformation into the Joker.
While it remains unclear if Beetz will revisit her character in a future project, director Todd Phillips confirmed actor Joaquin Phoenix will be returning to play the role of Arthur in the upcoming sequel musical film. In a post to social media, Phillips claimed Phoenix was already in possession of the script for the next entry for Joker, which the director additionally revealed was given the working title Joker: Folie à Deux. The official Instagram account for Joker also announced Phoenix will be joined by singer Stefani Germanotta, known professionally as Lady Gaga, who will be playing Joker's beloved partner in crime Harley Quinn.
An industry insider previously claimed Folie à Deux will take place in Arkham State Hospital, which was the movie's take on the DC Comics' notorious Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane. Further details regarding Joker: Folie à Deux's storyline and cast members remain scarce, as the film is still in development and reportedly scheduled for production in December 2022.
Joker: Folie À Deux waltzes into theaters on Oct. 4, 2024."