‘Joker: Folie à Deux’: Cinematographer Lawrence Sher Says Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘One From The Heart’ Influenced The Look Of The Sequel

While there are plenty of people who can debate the merits of Todd Phillips’ Oscar-winning film, “Joker,” there is really no denying the film looks great. And a large part of that look falls on the shoulders of cinematographer Lawrence Sher. And in a new interview with Matti Haapoja, Sher went deep into breaking down the look of “Joker,” while also teasing one of the influences for the upcoming sequel.

READ MORE: ‘Joker: Folie á Deux’: Todd Phillips Reveals New First-Look Photos For His Upcoming Sequel

Obviously, when you talk about “Joker,” you know the film was heavily influenced by “Taxi Driver” and other earlier films by Martin Scorsese. However, it’s clear, from Lawrence Sher’s words about “Joker: Folie à Deux,” the sequel is looking a bit elsewhere for inspiration for the look and feel of the new film. 

Specifically, Sher explained how Francis Ford Coppola’s oft-forgotten film, “One From the Heart,” has influenced the “Joker” sequel. The specifics of the inspiration is maybe a tad bit nerdy and not all that interesting unless you study film and are interested in cinematography, but basically, Sher uses a program called Shotdeck to break down the colors and shots of a specific film. This builds the database for future cinematographers to use. So, for the “Joker” sequel, Sher went through “One from the Heart” and used Shotdeck as a way to communicate how he wanted the film to look and feel. 

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“I broke [‘One From The Heart’] down for the new ‘Joker’ because I wanted it to exist so that it was part of the conversation,” he explained. “Whether or not those images ended up really influencing the new [‘Joker’]—maybe in part they did—they became a conversation starter for me and Mark Freidberg, the production designer, and Todd Phillips, as we scouted in those early days.”

For those who haven’t seen “One From the Heart,” you can watch the trailer below, but also, it’s good to understand that Coppola’s musical is filled with amazing, lavish colors. And sure, it was seen as a box office flop that is not as well remembered as many of Coppola’s other films, but it clearly is a jumping-off point for Sher and his crew for how they approach ‘Folie à Deux.’ 

We don’t know a whole lot about “Joker: Folie à Deux” at this point. We do know that it has been dubbed a musical by early reports about the film. So, it would make sense that “One From the Heart” would be in the conversation as an inspiration. 

“Joker: Folie à Deux” is set to arrive in theaters on October 4, 2024.