Venice Film Festival Walkin Phoenix Lady Gaga Todd Phillips at Joker Folia do Premiere Joker 2 is one of 21 films buying for the top golden line prize at the prestigious competition a dark and music-filled Joker sequel brought Lady Gaga to Venice on Wednesday playing the Star Cross love interest of the DC Comics inspired anti-hero in one of the year's most anticipated films the mega star was the main attraction at the world premiere of Joker Folia du at the Venice fil Film Festival one of 21 films buying for the top Golden Lion prize at the prestigious competition Todd Phillips's 2019 film starring Wen Phoenix subverted the codes of superhero films in a disturbing commentary on alienation in American society with a film going on to win at Venice that year and handing a best actor Academy Award to Phoenix on the red carpet Lady Gaga Drew screams from fans where she showed off an elaborate mask that suggested two pointy Batman ears draped with a sthe of Venetian lace paired with a black velvet gown with a generous taida skirt ahead of Wednesday's Premiere the pop star and actress confess to having been deeply moved by the original film in which an ignored mocked and mentally ill standup comic Arthur Fleck Phoenix is driven to violence the first film really deeply moved me I loved it so much Lady Gaga told a press conference calling Phoenix's performance one that set the bar extremely high I think sometimes when stories are told about people that are maybe misunderstood by Society the director gives you a chance to really take a hard look at that world in a deeper Way Lady Gaga said I felt like when I watched the first film I got to understand something I may not have seen before that's why I did this movie the sequel heavily relies on musical numbers to express the inner feelings of Fleck in dark brooding Renditions of Classics such as get happy or for once in my life Phoenix told journalists how he had this dream that I was performing as Joker doing songs and I just called Todd because I thought there might be something there that idea took flight and Lady Gaga was the next piece of the puzzle Todd philli said both actors sang Live on set Phoenix said an element that created a necessary energy early on she was like oh we're going to sing live and I was like no we're not you can sing live if you like and ultimately we did it and it was really the only way Phoenix told journalists the film's music was a vehicle to give characters way to express what they need to say Lady Gaga said we worked really hard on the way that we sang for me it was a lot about unlearning technique and forgetting how to breathe allowing the song to completely come out of the character she said Lady Gaga later announced on Instagram that the first single on her next album called lg7 would be released in October in her return to the big screen after 2021s House of Gucci Lady Gaga plays har Quinn the partner in crime and love interest of the Joker with whom she becomes obsessed as he awaits trial for his murder free the film Loosely based on the DC Comics characters and set in a gritty Gotham City was wildly successful grossing 1 billion at the box office but sparking criticism for its nihilistic violence Todd Phillips said he was happy to return to Venice but a little more nervous this time around I think it's a lot easier to come into something as the ins surgent as opposed to coming in as the incumbent he said there's a lot more expectations on a second film so there's definitely a sense of more nervousness than I had with the first one in co-writing the screenplay with Scott silver Philip said he knew it would have to be as daring as the original in order for Phoenix to sign on again if we really were going to do it it had to scare him in the same way the first one did it had to feel audacious he said this year's Festival has been a wash in Hollywood Pizzaz with a long roster of aists taking a twirl on the red carpet from Daniel Craig and Angelina Jolie to Nicole Kidman and Michael Keaton