Joker sequel flops: Inside Warner Bros.' costly gamble
The continuation of the hit movie "Joker," which brought Warner Bros. over a billion dollars and numerous awards in 2019, has become a major disappointment. The film "Joker: Folie à Deux" did not meet the expectations of either critics or audiences, significantly affecting its box office results.
6:43 AM EDT, October 9, 2024
Although the past weekend was not triumphant for "Joker," which we write more extensively here, the title is still being written and discussed. The industry press is analyzing the reasons for the film's financial failure. The Hollywood Reporter even questions who should take responsibility for these catastrophic 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—set a new standard for comic book adaptations. The budget for "Joker: Folie à Deux" was $190 million—three times more than the first film, and Lady Gaga joined the cast with a salary of $12 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 evaluate reception and audience feedback. Why wasn't this done for the second "Joker"? According to the Hollywood Reporter, it was due to fears of leaks. The result? A lack of critical opinions before the premiere made 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 $37.8 million, a drastic drop compared to the first installment's results and lower than other films considered financial flops, such as "The Flash" and "The Marvels." According to the 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 the "Joker" sequel a chance. It's worth recalling that Warner Bros. was pressured by its boss, David Zaslav, to fill the release calendar after the unsuccessful "Project Popcorn" experiment, which harmed relationships with creators by moving all 2021 films directly to Max.
In short: the "Joker" sequel simply had to be made.
Director's autonomy and a star's dream
One problem 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 completely different.
Apparently, Joaquin Phoenix dreamed up the idea for this particular version of "Joker." He then inspired Phillips, resulting in "Folie à Deux." The Hollywood Reporter asked its source for whom it was made. "For Joaquin," was the response.
