The original Joker movie might have been a rehash of some Martin Scorsese movies, but it was well received by critics and won Oscars for Best Actor and Best Original Score.
The movie also raked in over $1 billion (£764 million) at the box office, so you’d think a sequel bringing Lady Gaga into the fold would basically be a licence to print money.
However, that’s not exactly what happened as it has been panned by critics and audiences alike.
Joker: Folie a Deux is currently sitting in the not so pretty position of having just 33 percent of critics approving of it, according to Rotten Tomatoes, and the audience rating is similar.
Some viewers have said they’ve been walking out of the cinemas part-way through the movie because it wasn’t their particular cup of tea, with the movie having a plethora of musical numbers seeming to be a point of contention.
Joker director Todd Phillips has said he’s done with DC movies after the sequel and, according to the Metro, it lost about $70 million (£53 million) due to a poor opening weekend, so the chances of getting the band back together for a third film don’t seem great.
Some review sites have even rated it lower than Madame Web, as it got a CinemaScore of D to the critically panned Spider-Man spin-off’s C+.
The new Joker film is so bad, some fans are wondering if that was the point (Warner Bros.)
Madame Web had been dubbed the ‘worst film of 2024’, though while it enjoys a better CinemaScore rating than Joker 2, the percentage of critics who liked it is a dismal 11 percent.
In the aftermath of Joker 2’s difficult opening, some fans have cooked up a rather wild theory that the movie was made to be ‘intentionally bad’.
The Independent reports that some fans reckon Phillips specifically made the movie to go for fans of the original who idolised Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix).
The original film was controversial and did pick up a number of fans who probably shouldn’t think as well of a man with mental illness who goes on a killing spree that incites further violence as they did.
That’s got people thinking the sequel was made deliberately bad as a response to fans of the first film, though that seems rather outlandish.
Some reviewers have picked up a ‘go f**k yourselves’ vibe from the sequel towards fans of the original (Warner Bros.)
A number of reviewers picked up on the vibe that Joker 2 was in conversation with the perception of the original, with Rolling Stone’s verdict saying the movie’s message to fans of the original was ‘go f**k yourselves’.
The Independent also reports that despite the derision the film does have a certain core of supporters who think the movie really is designed to target fans of the original and are all for that.
Perhaps Joker 2 will end up becoming a cult movie for those who think it’s really good, but it seems as though the majority of audiences aren’t liking what they see.
If all of that didn’t put you off, Joker: Folie a Deux is in cinemas now.
As soon as it was confirmed that Joaquin Phoenix was returning as the Joker, there was only one thing on fans minds.
Hundreds of people flooded social media with comments of concern regarding how much weight he would once again have to lose to star as the infamous villain, after the US actor revealed he had shed 22kg for the first film.
Now, Phoenix has spoken out about how he has slimmed down for his leading role in Joker: Folie à Deux once more and why he hopes it will be the last time he does it for a movie.
Take a look at the trailer for his new flick here:
The upcoming sequel to 2019’s Joker sees Phoenix return as the titular character, while Lady Gaga will step into the shoes of his love interest, Harley Quinn.
Fans have gone wild after seeing the first official clip from the jukebox musical of the pair interacting in Arkham Asylum, but a lot of people picked up on the fact that they both look a lot leaner than usual.
The cast celebrated the debut of Joker: Folie à Deux at the Venice Film Festival yesterday (4 September) before Phoenix, Gaga and the film’s director Todd Phillips fielded questions at a press conference.
As you can imagine, the star’s weight loss was considered quite a hot topic.
Phoenix explained that he found it a lot more ‘complicated’ to lose the pounds in comparison to his prep for Joker.
The actor lost a shocking amount of weight for 2019’s Joker (Warner Bros.)
“This time, it felt a bit more complicated just because there was so much dance rehearsal that we were doing, which I didn’t have last time,” he said. “And so, it felt a bit more difficult.”
For the first film, the Gladiator star lost 22kg to play the crazy clown, and he did so by eating a diet which mainly consisted of apples, lettuce and steamed vegetables.
Although he worked closely alongside a nutritionist, Phoenix previously admitted that he found the process ‘grotesque’.
“It’s a horrible, brutal diet but you get all the vitamins and minerals, so you’re like safe,” he told USA Today.
At the 2019 Venice Film Festival, he also admitted the drastic weight loss had impacted his ‘psychology’, but said this ultimately assisted him when getting into character.
Todd Phillips, Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix at the Venice Film Festival (Gisela Schober/Getty Images)
“You start to go mad when you lose that much weight in that amount of time,” Phoenix said.
Phillips said he intended for his Joker to look ‘malnourished and thin and hungry’ in the first film, and it seems he fancied the same thing this time around too.
However, Phoenix declared he wouldn’t be getting into the nitty-gritty of his diet again due to the reception he got previously, even though he admitted he ‘was responsible’ for sparking the conversation.
Speaking on Wednesday, he said: “That becomes your obsession because you’re working the entire time to get to a certain weight. So then, you end up talking about it, and then it just sounds like an actor going on and on about how much weight they lost.”
Phoenix didn’t want to discuss the details of his weight loss for Joker: Folie À Deux this time around (Warner Bros.)
“By the end of that run, I was so sick of myself and angry at myself for making such a big deal about that part, because you just do what you’re f***ing supposed to do,” Phoenix said.
“So this time I was like, ‘I’m not going to do that’.”
But he did point out that he noticed Gaga had lost ‘a lot of’ weight for Joker: Folie à Deux.
Addressing his co-star, he said: “I met you and then we did some rehearsals and then you went away for like a month, and then you came back and you lost a lot of weight. It was really impressive and seemed very difficult.”
Phoenix was asked whether there will come a point where he can no longer lose weight to such extremes for a movie role.
“You’re right,” he responded. “I’m 49. I probably shouldn’t do this again. This is probably it for me.”
However, he did stress that he worked with a doctor to ensure his health wasn’t suffering.
Cast your minds back about a decade ago and the movie Her was being released.
The film told the story of Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), a man who falls in love with artificial intelligence Samantha (Scarlett Johansson).
Since the movie released there have been plenty of warnings about the danger of becoming too enthralled by AI but it doesn’t appear to be stopping us from tumbling headfirst into a false world scraped together by stealing the efforts of real creators.
Johansson herself has also ended up turning down offers to give her voice to actual AI and not just fictional depictions of them.
Deciding she didn’t want to be the voice of a ChatGPT system as she ‘just felt it went against my core values’, Johansson said she was ‘shocked, angered and in disbelief’ when OpenAI released a voice which sounded strangely like her.
Scarlett Johansson provided the voice for Samantha in Her (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
However, when she was working on Her there was apparently a moment where Phoenix ended up walking out and it was while she was recording some noises for a very particular scene in the movie.
Speaking to Dax Shephard’s Armchair Expert podcast, Johansson explained that while shooting the movie she had to record sounds of her having an orgasm.
Phoenix had already filmed the scene and was watching her do the vocals for it, but according to Johansson, he ended up getting uncomfortable and left.
She said: “We tried to get through one take, and he was, like, losing it.
“He was like angry… he had already [filmed the scene], he had done it in person, and now he was with me in this weird theatre and I’m in this box, and he was like staring at me, and the lights are low, and Spike [Jonze] is there… it was so bizarre.”
However, Johansson said she was alright to record the sounds but asked if her co-star could return as she said ‘I need him to come back’.
The noises were apparently a bit much for Joaquin Phoenix to deal with and he went off to take a break (Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)
“I was fine. Joaquin was not – he was so upset about it,” Johansson continued.
“He left the studio, and now I’m in this box by myself, and I’m like, ‘I can’t do it alone. I need him to come back’.
“He needed a break; he took a break, and he came back in.
“You don’t want to hear your voice ever. You definitely don’t want to hear what you sound like having an orgasm. Ew. It’s so gross. It was so bizarre.”
To be honest that’s a fair verdict, perhaps this is one of the reasons why a lot of actors don’t like watching back their old stuff.
Joaquin Phoenix has broken his silence on his abrupt departure from the gay romance film, directed by Todd Haynes, he was set to star in.
IndieWire first reported that Phoenix had shockingly dropped out just five days before filming was set to commence.
A source close to the production told Variety that the Joker actor had reportedly got ‘cold feet’, which contributed to him dropping out.
The film was set to feature Phoenix opposite Top Gun: Maverick star Danny Ramirez, with the two playing gay lovers.
Ramirez was set to star in the film opposite Phoenix. (Paramount Pictures)
This was set to feature graphic sex scenes, with the concept of the film centring around an NC-17 rating, the most mature that a film can be and still receive a wide-release.
In an interview with Variety, Ramirez teased the film was a ‘love story between two men set in the ’30s that has explicit sexual content.’
While there was speculation that the drop-out may have been to do with this, sources close to the film were not convinced.
Variety wrote: “That theory is confusing to some sources, who reiterate that it was Phoenix who brought the project — and its NC-17 concept — to Haynes in the first place.”
According to Todd Haynes, the concept for the film started as fragmented ideas by Phoenix, which he turned into a script.
He then said: “Basically it was just this wonderful, organic way to create the script.
“Joaquin was pushing it further into more dangerous territory, sexually.”
Phoenix is an Oscar winner for The Joker. (Warner Brothers)
Phoenix was asked about this at a press conference for the sequel to Joker, Joker: Folie a Deux.
The actor is currently in Venice for the Venice Film Festival, when he was questioned about dropping out of the film.
According to Kyle Buchanan of the New York Times, Phoenix said: “It would just be sharing my opinion and the other creatives aren’t here to share their piece.
“It doesn’t feel like that would be right. I don’t think that would be helpful so I just don’t think I will. Thank you.”
Due to the short notice nature of Phoenix pulling out of the film, losses are thought to exceed seven figures.
According to inside sources that spoke to IndieWire, several stakeholders will still have to be compensated for the film.
As well as this, Ramirez will no longer be able to star in the film, as the movie was contingent on Phoenix’s involvement.
LADbible had contacted a representative for Todd Haynes’ for a comment.
It’s official – Happy Gilmore 2 is in the works at Netflix, and we’re all losing it.
After a period of terrible movie after terrible movie, Adam Sandler has returned to making bangers of late.
This is set to continue with the actor on board to return for a Netflix sequel to the iconic 90s golf film.
Unfortunately, though, not everyone will be able to return – as some actors have tragically passed away in the years since the film released.
Here are some of the actors who have passed away since the original.
Carl Weathers
Carl Weathers peacefully passed away in his sleep on 1 February 2024. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
The most high profile of the film’s deaths – Carl Weathers died in February of this year, 2024.
Weathers is known predominantly for his role as Apollo Creed in the Rocky films, though had found a recent resurgent fame in The Mandalorian.
Playing ‘Chubbs’ in Happy Gilmore, Happy’s golf instructor, his positive attitude and heart will be sorely missed from the sequel.
Sandler posted a tribute following his death saying: “A true great man. Great dad. Great actor. Great athlete.
“So much fun to be around always. Smart as hell. Loyal as hell. Funny as hell.
“Love to his entire family and Carl will always be known as a true legend.”
The Wheel of Fortune host cameoed as himself in the film, getting into a fistfight with Happy, leading to the iconic line: “The price is wrong, b*tch”.
Barker died in August of last year at 99.
In tribute to Barker following his death, frequent Sandler collaborator Rob Schneider said:
“One of the nicest things I ever heard in showbusiness was Bob Barker saying, ‘I moved to Hollywood to be an actor and the only person who ever let me do it was Adam Sandler!’ This scene with them was and will always be absolutely hilarious”.
Frances Bay and Joe Flaherty
Joe Flaherty. (Universal Pictures)
The final two will be keenly missed in any sequel to the film.
Frances Bay played Grandma Gilmore in the movie, and was an absolutely prolific actor, appearing in over 180 projects over her whole life.
She sadly died at 92 in 2011.
Finally, whilst he may have played just a small role in the film, Joe Flaherty will be a huge miss in any sequel.
Flaherty played Donald, the heckler paid by shooter to distract Happy – his iconic ‘Jackass’ yell at the golfer has become one of the more well remembered lines from the film.
The comedy legend died just last month, meaning there is a real chance he was involved in plans for the film before his sad passing.
Whilst Sandler is confirmed, and Christopher McDonald and Julie Bowen are almost sure to return, these legends will all be missed.
