The release of Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to 2019’s Joker, has faced significant backlash following its underwhelming opening weekend and a slew of behind-the-scenes issues. The film, directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, earned just $37.7 million domestically in its debut, far below the success of its predecessor, which opened to $96.2 million before earning $1.1 billion worldwide. Now, insiders are pointing fingers at Phillips, claiming his refusal to collaborate with DC Studios and others at Warner Bros. contributed to the film’s struggles.
According to Variety, Phillips distanced himself from DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran during production, reportedly insisting he “wanted nothing to do with DC.” This led to a noticeable absence of the DC Studios logo in the opening of the film, a decision that highlighted the tension between Phillips and the new heads of the superhero franchise. Despite Gunn’s public support of the film, Phillips’ relationship with the studio was far from smooth.
“If the first movie was about some down-on-his-luck, mentally ill guy in a downtrodden city, it makes maybe $150 [million] worldwide. Not a billion,” according to one of the insiders Variety quoted in the report. “People showed up because that guy was Joker.”
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While Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav attended the film’s premiere, Gunn and Safran were absent, further signaling the disconnection between Phillips and the studio. Insiders say Phillips had a unique arrangement that allowed him to bypass any oversight from DC Studios, answering only to Warner Bros. heads Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy. Despite feedback from the studio, Phillips insisted on his own vision, including filming in Los Angeles at a higher budget, and even disregarding recommendations against debuting the film at the Venice Film Festival.
Phillips also resisted test screenings for Joker: Folie à Deux, a decision that led to its poor reception with critics. The movie scored a low 33% on Rotten Tomatoes and a “D” CinemaScore, with critics and fans alike rejecting the film. Industry experts now worry that Warner Bros.’ $200 million investment, which included hefty paychecks for Phoenix, Gaga, and Phillips, may never be recouped. As one source close to the film said, “No one could get through to Todd… if you don’t listen to what the fans expect, you’re going to fail.”
A DC spokesperson dismissed reports of tension to Variety, explaining that James Gunn was occupied directing Peacemaker in Atlanta, where production was delayed due to Hurricane Helene, while his DC Studios partner Peter Safran was ill. A Warner Bros. spokesperson added that the DC logo does appear at the end of Joker: Folie à Deux. Todd Phillips declined to comment on the story.
Joker: Folie à Deux is directed by Todd Phillips and features a star-studded cast, led by Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck and Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. The movie also stars Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie Beetz, Steve Coogan, Harry Lawtey, Leigh Gill, Ken Leung and Jacob Lofland.
