When Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy took over as co-heads of Warner Bros.’ film studio in early June 2021, one of many first selections they made was to transfer ahead with a sequel to Joker, the Oscar-winning, $1 billion hit that helped redefine the heights a comic book guide film may attain.
Nearly all the important thing offers had been already in place by their predecessor, Toby Emmerich, with A-list director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix getting $20 million paydays, and the movie touchdown a wealthy internet funds of $190 million (the primary movie value $55 million). Phillips is a large asset for Warner, his dwelling studio.
One small excellent matter was Woman Gaga’s perk package deal. Inside weeks, the papers had been signed — her pay was $12 million — and he or she formally joined Joker: Folie à Deux.
Abdy and De Luca may have stated no to creating the movie, however they might have the laughing shares of Hollywood, contemplating the astonishing success of Joker and its record-shattering journey on the world field workplace, the place it ranked because the top-grossing R-rated movie of all time till Deadpool & Wolverine got here alongside. However over the Oct. 4-6 weekend, everybody at Warners, together with the manager duo, had been left reeling as Folie à Deux collapsed in its field workplace debut with a $37.8 million home opening after turning into the primary comedian guide film in historical past to obtain a D CinemaScore. Phillips, in accordance with one supply, spent the weekend in seclusion on a ranch property he owns.
Domestically, Folie à Deux opened properly behind DC’s 2023 The Flash ($55 million) and Marvel Studios’ The Marvels’ ($46.1 million), each of which had been main bombs. It additionally got here in behind Sony’s comparatively cheap Morbius ($39 million).
“It’s full viewers rejection,” says one supply near the movie.
Abroad, Folie à Deux got here in at an estimated $81 million, in keeping with expectations however nonetheless notably behind the primary movie.
Whereas it isn’t the bottom North American opening for a pic based mostly on a DC character, Joker: Folie à Deux is main stumble. But quite a few sources inform THR that there’s no studio head in Hollywood — save maybe for Sony Photos’ Tom Rothman — who would have turned down making a sequel to a movie that was each a industrial and important hit. In addition, Abdy and De Luca had been below orders by Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav to fill a naked cabinet after the studio’s Undertaking Popcorn catastrophe, which alienated expertise by sending its complete 2021 slate day-and-date to streaming service Max. Zaslav is also eager to use the corporate’s IP extra totally.
“It’s a collective failure, but it surely was proper to make this film,” says one high veteran producer and financier, who factors out that Phillips is a superb director who has made Warners billions in between the primary Joker and The Hangover films.
Nonetheless, observers surprise how De Luca and Abdy may have presided over a movie that veered to this point astray from what audiences wished or anticipated.
One reply, maybe: Phillips was given a rare degree of autonomy and remaining minimize. There was no check screening, although insiders say this was a mutual resolution between the filmmaker and Warners so as to protect spoilers. That call does stretch credulity, because the movie doesn’t have a very spoiler-heavy plot, and even spoilerific films like Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Engdame had a number of check screenings.
On the primary Joker, former DC Movies president Walter Hamada labored on the undertaking and obtained an government producer credit score. This time round, no DC executives had been concerned, as when the undertaking was greenlit, DC was in a near-state of chaos. It will nonetheless be months earlier than James Gunn and Peter Safran had been employed to run the division and to type DC Studios.
Since Phillips’ principal forte was comedy, Emmerich capped the funds on the primary film at $55 million, and introduced on co-financiers to mitigate the danger, together with Bron and Village Roadshow. Sources inform THR that Alcon, backed by FedEx titan Fred Smith, finally put up Village Roadshow’s portion and was wanting to have a stake in Folie à Deux. The Zaslav regime, nonetheless, didn’t wish to see a lot cash going out the door and solely has one co-financier on the sequel, its slate financing associate, Area.
On Sunday, Warners didn’t try to sugarcoat the film’s efficiency or recommend it has an opportunity of catching on after being rejected by fanboys — until folks wish to go see it due to the “hate” issue. Additionally they didn’t level fingers internally, akin to at advertising, which might usually occur after a film bombs.
“It’s an enormous catastrophe, however what’s the fallout? Who will get the blame?” asks one supply.
However each Gunn and Phillips have emphasised in current days that they didn’t work collectively on the undertaking, with Gunn answering a query from a fan on social media asking why the DC Studios emblem didn’t seem in entrance of the film, with the filmmaker-exec writing, “As a result of it’s not a DC Studios movie.” He went on so as to add, “All future movies with DC characters shall be DC Studios.” (There’s a DC emblem through the credit). Curiously, and maybe as courtesy, Gunn noticed the film concurrently De Luca and Abdy, in accordance with a supply.
Phillips himself has confirmed Gunn and Safran had nothing to do with the film, saying at a current screening that the perspective was, “Okay, Todd did his factor. Let Todd proceed to do his factor.”
Gunn and Safran have a vested curiosity in distancing themselves from Joker and the bombs of the previous few years and particularly The Flash — a correct DC title — as they try to reset the model, a high precedence for Zaslav.
Certainly, they distanced themselves from Folie à Deux virtually as quickly as they took over as co-heads of the studio. Throughout a presentation for press in January 2023, they outlined their expansive slate, however famous that Joker 2 wouldn’t be below their purview and would exist as an Elseworld’s title — a designation given to tasks that fall outdoors of the shared universe of films, TV reveals and video video games they’re creating. They’re working with The Batman filmmaker Matt Reeves on his sequel, in addition to the TV spinoff The Penguin and different tasks in growth outdoors their mainline universe.
No matter whether or not Joker 2 is a correct DC title, it’s the fifth bomb for a DC-character based mostly movie since hit film The Batman bowed in March 2022, with current misses together with Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash and Aquaman and the Misplaced Kingdom. (The extra modestly budgeted Blue Beetle underperformed final yr, however was not an outright bomb).
Gunn and Safran are hoping to proper the ship with the Gunn-directed Superman, which arrives in July 2025.
Some have famous the movie is a very costly punchline, a repudiation of the very audiences who confirmed up for the primary movie. Sarcastically, the ending of the movie encompasses a man carving a smile on his face (out of focus and barely off digital camera). In line with one supply, the unique ending of the primary film featured Phoenix’s Joker carving his face in entrance of a crowd of his supporters. However The Darkish Knight filmmaker Christopher Nolan killed that concept, as solely his Joker (Heath Ledger) carved his face. However Nolan is now not on the studio, and thus there was no resistance.
Neither Phillips nor Phoenix was even certain about making a sequel and, for a time, contemplated placing on a Broadway present as an alternative, earlier than finally committing to the film and bringing aboard Gaga in a job impressed by the comedian guide character Harley Quinn. The concept for the sequel got here to Phoenix in a dream, and he and Phillips introduced the thought to Emmerich, in accordance with sources.
Ultimately, some are saying that Joker: Folie à Deux is a really costly artwork movie. However when requested who the meant viewers was, one outdoors supply sums it up this manner: “For Joaquin.”