Joker sequel falters: A tale of high stakes and missed cues
The continuation of the hit film "Joker," which brought Warner Bros. over a billion dollars and numerous awards in 2019, has become a major disappointment. The movie "Joker: Folie à Deux" did not meet the expectations of either critics or audiences, negatively affecting its box office results.
Although the past weekend was unsuccessful for "Joker," which we write more extensively here, the title is still being discussed widely. The industry press is analysing the reasons for the film's financial failure. Hollywood Reporter is even questioning who should take responsibility for such an unfortunate turn of events.
When Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy took over the leadership of Warner Bros. studio in June 2021, one of their first steps was to accelerate work on a sequel to the Oscar-winning "Joker." The first film, directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix—both of whom earned 20 million dollars—raised the bar for comic book adaptations. The budget for "Joker: Folie à Deux" was set at £156 million—three times more than the first film, and Lady Gaga joined the cast for a salary of £10 million.
Risky decision
Perhaps "Joker" would look different today if the studio had decided on test screenings. This is a standard procedure for films with high financial expectations to see if they are well-received and if audiences appreciate it. Why wasn't this done for the second "Joker"? According to Hollywood Reporter, it was due to fears of leaks. The result? A lack of critical opinions before the premiere now leads to questions about whether this could have contributed to the film's failure.
Box office failure
The film debuted in North America with a gross of £31 million, which is a drastic drop compared to the result of the first instalment and lower than other films considered financial flops, such as "The Flash" and "The Marvels". According to Hollywood Reporter, the film received a rare D rating on CinemaScore, indicating outright rejection by the audience.
Inevitable decision
Despite the financial and critical failure, many industry insiders believe that De Luca and Abdy had no choice but to give a chance to the "Joker" sequel. It is worth recalling that Warner Bros. was under pressure from its head, David Zaslav, to fill the release calendar after the unsuccessful "Project Popcorn" experiment, which harmed relationships with creators, moving all 2021 films directly to Max.
In summary: The "Joker" sequel simply had to be made.
Director's autonomy and a star's dream
One of the problems critics pointed out was DC Studios' lack of oversight, which had no impact on the production's direction. The director of both parts, Todd Phillips, was able to make key decisions almost independently—from screenplay to editing. Although such a move ensured the success of the first "Joker," this time, the result was entirely different.
Apparently, Joaquin Phoenix dreamed up the idea for this particular version of "Joker." He then inspired Phillips, resulting in "Folie à Deux." Hollywood Reporter asked its source for whom it was actually made. "For Joaquin," was the response.
