As a seasoned gamer with a keen eye for film adaptations and a soft spot for comic book movies, I find myself intrigued by Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux. After the box office juggernaut that was 2019’s Joker, I expected a similar adrenaline rush with its sequel. However, after reading about the movie’s unique narrative and genre-bending approach, I find myself both fascinated and slightly apprehensive.
Three weeks ago, Todd Phillips’ “Joker: Folie à Deux” was projected to open with around $70 million at the box office. This is a decrease of about $26 million compared to the previous installment five years ago, but it still represented a decent amount. However, more recent predictions suggest that the film may only earn between $50 million and $60 million instead.
Why the drop?
The controversial, adult-rated film, initially met with mixed reactions upon its debut at the Venice Film Festival, is an innovative, melodious follow-up that explores uncharted territories beyond the conventional comic book genre movies. Unlike 2019’s Joker, which drew parallels to Martin Scorsese’s earlier works, this sequel offers a more leisurely narrative pace, delving deeply into the personal lives of its principal characters. Critics have commended the film for its aesthetic appeal, acting talent, and technical aspects, but have criticized its storyline. As The Hollywood Reporter‘s lead film critic David Rooney stated from Venice, “For a movie spanning two hours and fifteen minutes, Folie à Deux seems to lack substance at times and can be quite tedious.
The complexities presented in the film might have left the original Joker’s intended viewers perplexed, contributing to a decline in tracking and lower than anticipated presale ticket numbers. Despite its box office earnings, the movie is predicted to make a significant impact in the Oscar competition.
Worldwide, “Joker 2” premieres in most locations this weekend, except in Japan and China, where it will be released in the near future. Warner Bros. is anticipating an opening overseas earnings of around $80 million to $85 million.
As the gaming enthusiast who couldn’t get enough of the Joker, I’m thrilled about revisiting Gotham City again in “Joker: Two-Face” alongside the exceptional Joaquin Phoenix, who once again dons the iconic clown suit after his Oscar-winning performance as Arthur Fleck/Joker. This sequel hits theaters in 2023, and with its impressive $1 billion global box office haul from its 2019 release, it’s safe to say that Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix have cemented their status as legends on the Warner Bros. lot. The success of “Joker” has even given them the creative freedom to take risks with this follow-up, making me eagerly await its premiere!
Initially, both Phillips and Phoenix had their doubts about creating a sequel. For a while, they even considered staging a Broadway production as an alternative. However, in the end, they decided to stick with making the movie instead.
Initially, the first Joker movie was made at a cost of $55 million, excluding marketing expenses. Following its impressive performance, production costs for the sequel were estimated to be between $190 million and $200 million. A portion of this budget was used to cast Lady Gaga in a character loosely based on Harley Quinn from the comic books, an attempt to attract more female cinema-goers.
The duo of Joker and Harley, famously depicted in comics with a tumultuous and harmful romantic bond, is symbolically represented by the title “Folie à Deux“, a term from psychology meaning shared madness affecting two or more individuals. A significant portion of the movie features elaborate musical sequences starring these two characters, who cross paths when Arthur is confined in Arkham Asylum, awaiting trial for his actions from the previous film. However, neither Warner Bros. nor Phillips are keen on labeling it as a conventional musical, since only two characters sing, unlike traditional musicals that typically involve numerous individuals in the songs.
The marketing efforts for this studio’s film have avoided emphasizing its multiple musical scenes, similar to how they promoted the musical film Wonka. Similarly, Warners and Paramount didn’t promote Mean Girls as a musical either.
Regardless, Phillips understands that the upcoming film deviates from conventional expectations, since it doesn’t strictly adhere to the conclusion of Joker, where Arthur accepts and embodies his alter ego.
At the LA premiere on Monday, Phillips expressed gratitude towards the studio for taking a daring risk. He further mentioned, “It’s not exactly the sequel one would anticipate.
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2024-10-03 00:24