As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I’ve seen more than my fair share of sequels that either fail to meet expectations or completely miss the mark. The release of Joker: Folie à Deux is no exception.
This is no joke.
In an unprecedented turn of events, Todd Phillips’ follow-up film titled “Joker: Folie à Deux” has etched its name in history as the first Hollywood comic book movie to receive a D grade from audiences according to CinemaScores. Exit surveys mirror this disappointment as viewers voice their dissatisfaction with the sequel.
The lack of audience satisfaction is reflected in underwhelming ticket sales for the Warner Bros. movie, which is performing below forecasts at the box office. The controversial sequel garnered only about $20 million on its first day, with $7 million from previews, suggesting an opening weekend below $50 million. Competing studios predict that the Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga film could earn anywhere between $42 million and $47 million, with one studio estimating a possible opening of even less than $40 million.
Over the upcoming weekend, it was anticipated that “Joker 2” would earn between $50 million and $60 million. However, this figure is lower than the initial projection of $70 million, which was made three weeks prior to its release.
In the year 2019, the film “Joker” opened with a stunning $96.2 million and eventually went on to break records by earning over $1 billion globally.
Phillips’ controversial, adult-rated sequel, initially met with mixed opinions at its debut at the Venice Film Festival, is an innovative film that combines music elements and transcends the usual boundaries of comic book adaptations popular among fans. The box office performance on Thursday night is concerning, but the poor exit ratings on PostTrak are more worrying, as audiences have given it a mere half-star out of five – a score similar to the disastrous Thursday night showing for Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, which flopped spectacularly last weekend with $4 million and a D+ CinemaScore. (The exit ratings for Joker may improve as the weekend progresses.)
In contrast to how 2019’s Joker drew parallels with Martin Scorsese’s earlier films, its sequel, titled Folie à Deux, takes a more leisurely approach, delving deeply into the emotional worlds of its main characters. The film has received acclaim for its aesthetic appeal, acting, and technical aspects, but some critics have noted issues with its storyline. As David Rooney, chief film critic for The Hollywood Reporter, put it from Venice, “Despite running for two-and-a-quarter hours, Folie à Deux seems somewhat sparse narratively and at times rather uneventful.
Despite not making much noise at the box office, I’ve got my fingers crossed that this movie will make a significant impact in the Oscar race, especially for its outstanding performances.
Across the globe, I’m excited as I head into the weekend knowing that Joker 2 is opening almost everywhere, except Japan and China where it’s set to premiere in the near future. Warner Bros. is optimistic about a foreign box office launch of around $80 million to $85 million. Here’s hoping for a strong start!
In “Joker: Two-Face,” Phillips reteams with Phoenix, who steps back into the lead role following his Academy Award win for Best Actor as Arthur Fleck/Joker. Initially uncertain about making a sequel, both Phillips and Phoenix considered staging a Broadway production instead. However, they eventually decided to go ahead with the movie.
Initially, the first Joker movie was made for approximately $55 million before accounting for marketing costs. Following its impressive performance, Phillips was granted a production budget of around $190-$200 million for the sequel. A portion of this budget was used to cast Lady Gaga in a character inspired by Harley Quinn from the comic books; the filmmakers anticipate that her involvement will attract more female cinema-goers.
A significant portion of the film features fantastical song sequences starring the pair, who cross paths when Arthur is detained at Arkham Asylum, preparing for his trial following events from the initial movie. However, neither Warner Bros. nor Phillips are keen on labeling it as a conventional musical, since only two characters perform songs, unlike typical musicals where numerous individuals take part in the musical numbers.
The studio’s promotional content has avoided emphasizing the film’s multiple musical scenes, similar to their approach when marketing Wonka, a musical production. Similarly, Warners isn’t unique in this regard; Paramount also didn’t promote Mean Girls as a musical.
Phillips understands that the upcoming film isn’t typical, as it doesn’t strictly adhere to the ending of Joker, where Arthur accepts his alter ego. At the Los Angeles premiere on Monday, he expressed gratitude towards the studio for taking such a daring risk, stating, “it is not the sequel you may anticipate.
More to come.
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2024-10-05 18:24