As a long-time fan of Joaquin Phoenix’s captivating performances, I was thrilled to see him reprise his iconic role as Arthur Fleck in “Joker: Folie à Deux”. However, the film’s journey has been far from smooth sailing. The inclusion of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn and its part-musical format promised an exciting twist on the original, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite hit the mark for many fans and critics alike.
The movie “Joker: Two Madnesses” originally considered casting another actor as the notorious villain, but Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga played Arthur Fleck and Lee Quinzel instead. However, the film’s reception at the box office and among general audiences has been less than favorable, mirroring the contentious nature of the original film. Consequently, “Joker: Two Madnesses” appears to have created a unique legacy for Phoenix’s portrayal of the Batman antagonist, opening up possibilities for multiple interpretations of the Joker character.
In the film “Joker: Folie à Deux,” it’s shown that a television movie was made about the events from the first film, with Arthur Fleck being portrayed by an actor. A recurring joke is that Lee Quinzel (played by Gaga) compliments the TV movie and uses it to coax Arthur back into taking on the persona again. However, other characters in the film criticize the movie, saying it wasn’t very well-made. During an interview with IGN, director Todd Phillips discussed the already contentious supervillain sequel in depth, revealing that if given the opportunity, Justin Theroux would have played the TV movie version of the Joker for a potential trailer.
As a cinephile, I’d have loved to work with Justin Theroux on our project. In fact, we even discussed the idea of creating a trailer together. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, we simply ran out of time to make it happen. Yes, that’s ‘Ethan Chase,’ the actor from the initial film, whom I was hoping to collaborate with.
Astute viewers of the movie “Joker” have spotted a subtle appearance by actor Justin Theroux. He appears on Arthur’s television screen as Ethan Chase during an episode of The Murray Franklin Show. Interestingly, director Todd Phillips used the same character name (Ethan Chase) from Zach Galifianakis’ role in “Due Date,” another film directed by Phillips. Regrettably, the upcoming sequel “Joker: Folie à Deux” did not incorporate a trailer featuring Theroux’s portrayal of the Joker. However, there are many other elements worth watching out for in this intriguing follow-up to the original film.
Joker 2 is Facing an Uphill Battle on All Sides
In contrast to the unprecedented success of the original Joker movie, which raked in over a billion dollars at the box office in 2019, its R-rated sequel, titled Joker: Folie à Deux, has fallen short of expectations. The addition of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn and the part-musical aspect were intriguing decisions, but unfortunately, the end result has left both fans of Joker and the filmmakers behind the high-budget sequel feeling disappointingly underwhelmed. Despite being released in the same year as Madame Web, Folie à Deux holds the unwanted title of the worst-ever rated superhero movie, receiving a D CinemaScore, a metric that typically reflects positively on audience response in theaters. With a mediocre opening weekend performance comparable to some of the year’s poorest films, it appears that the contentious nature of Folie à Deux has set it up for failure from the outset.
In a somewhat unexpected turn from the original film’s acclaim, “Joker: Folie à Deux” didn’t quite meet audience expectations, but that doesn’t diminish the value found in Todd Phillips’ sequel. Joaquin Phoenix delivers another stellar performance, while Lady Gaga shines as an innovative portrayal of Harley Quinn. The film was also notably free from studio intervention, allowing for a wealth of creative freedom, albeit with its pros and cons. There’s a possibility that “Folie à Deux” may cultivate a devoted fanbase and be reappraised as a visionary sequel ahead of its time. However, it might face challenges, given the jarring nature of its ending for those who anticipated a “Joker” sequel to further solidify Arthur Fleck as the definitive Clown Prince of Crime within his cinematic universe.
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2024-10-09 21:01