As a long-time fan of DC Comics, I have seen my fair share of highs and lows when it comes to their film adaptations. The original Joker movie was a breath of fresh air, a gritty and dark take on one of the most iconic villains in comics. So, when I heard about Joker: Folie à Deux, I was genuinely excited. However, after seeing the movie, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed.
The director of “Joker: Folie à Deux” clarifies the extent, if any, of the involvement by the new DC Studios Presidents and Peter Safran in the sequel. In June 2022, Warner Bros. unveiled “Joker: Folie à Deux,” with Gunn and Safran appointed as the leaders of the freshly formed DC Studios in October. The stories within Gunn’s DCU Chapter 1, titled “Gods and Monsters,” will be interconnected through projects like “Superman,” “Creature Commandos,” “Lanterns,” “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow,” and “Dynamic Duo.” However, Gunn also confirmed that the DC Studios would produce adaptations distinct from the main narrative under the label “Elseworlds,” encompassing Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” series and Todd Phillips’ “Joker” films.
Contrary to some speculations suggesting that Gunn and Safran played significant roles in the next installment of “Joker” due to their new positions, Phillips, during a pre-screening Q&A for “Joker: Folie à Deux,” clarified through SlashFilm that this wasn’t true. Although Gunn and Safran did watch a version of the film, they had no involvement in the project as it was already announced prior to their appointment at DC Studios. This means that “Joker: Folie à Deux” was managed by Warner Bros. Pictures directly, not DC Studios, according to Phillips’ statement.
In essence, their work appears to align more with the style typically seen in Warner Brothers productions, as if they are giving creative freedom to Todd, saying “Keep doing what you do best, Todd.” This is different from traditional DC Comics content, despite any labeling suggesting otherwise.
According to James Gunn‘s statement from December 2023, he had seen a cut of “Joker: Folie à Deux” and provided feedback, but emphasized that the film was mainly under Warner Bros.’ control. The production of “Joker: Folie à Deux” began in December 2022, which was one month after James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as heads of DC Studios, and just before the DCU film and TV plan was unveiled. At that time, “Joker: Folie à Deux” was greenlit during a period when Warner Bros. was still deciding on their approach for DC adaptations. Given the reviews for the “Joker” sequel, there might have been benefit in spending more time in the planning phase.
Will Joker: Folie à Deux Hurt the DCU?
The highly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster film “Joker” from 2019, titled “Joker: Folie à Deux“, seemed destined for success. With a global gross of $1 billion and 11 Academy Award nominations, including a win for Best Picture, expectations were high for this follow-up. However, the reception has been far from favorable, with a dismal rating as the worst comic book adaptation on CinemaScore and negative reviews from both critics and audiences. The film also fell significantly short of its opening weekend target, earning just $40 million compared to over $50 million more for the first movie in 2019. Similarly, the DC sequels such as “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom“, “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” and “Wonder Woman 1984” have also struggled to match or surpass their initial success with both audiences and critics.
At one point, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav, decided to hold back Batgirl as a tax loss, with DC Studios co-president Peter Safran expressing concern that it would harm the DC brand. However, the widespread criticism of Joker: Folie à Deux may have inflicted much greater damage. Todd Phillips was given free rein over Joker: Folie à Deux and minimal studio supervision, with reports indicating no test screenings were held. Now that the film has been released, it seems the studio might regret having given him such a large budget without oversight. Meanwhile, although James Gunn had no part in making Joker: Folie à Deux, its poor reception has undoubtedly increased expectations for his upcoming projects, particularly Superman, as Warner Bros. and DC hope to recover at the box office with his releases.
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2024-10-07 15:02