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The idea of the latest DC movie, Joker: Folie à Deux, allegedly came to Joaquin Phoenix in a dream.
In a new report from The Hollywood Reporter, the origins of the sequel were revealed. Both Phoenix and writer/director Todd Phillips were unsure about making a sequel. Allegedly, they “contemplated putting on a Broadway show instead.”
Bringing Lady Gaga in as Harley Quinn inspired Phoenix. The idea for the sequel came to him in a dream. He brought it to Phillips, who subsequently brought it to Toby Emmerich.
According to a source, Joker: Folie à Deux was made “for Joaquin” and no one else. That may explain its box office success (or lack thereof).
Warning: Spoilers for Joker: Folie à Deux ahead
Another big revelation from the report is about its ending. Allegedly, the first Joker movie was supposed to end with Phoenix's character carving a smile on his face in front of the mob he has gathered.
However, those who have seen the first movie know this does not happen. Instead, a variation of that occurs towards the end of Folie à Deux.
Christopher Nolan, who directed The Dark Knight, reportedly vetoed this idea for the 2019 movie. He is no longer working at Warner Bros, so no one shot the idea down this time around.
Is Joker: Folie à Deux a success?
Folie à Deux is a sequel to the 2019 Joker movie. It continues the story of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) as he is held in Arkham Asylum. It picks up a couple of years after the events of the first movie as newly-elected district attorney Harvey Dent (Harry Lawtey) is calling for the death penalty.
While in Arkham, Arthur meets Harleen “Lee” Quinzel (Lady Gaga), better known as Harley Quinn. They fall for each other while Arthur is on trial.
Todd Phillips returned to co-write and direct the sequel. Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie Beetz, Steve Coogan, and Lawtey also star in the movie.
The sequel has not been as successful as its predecessor. It has only made $114.6 million worldwide to date in its theatrical run. Folie à Deux opened to just $37 million domestically.
To make matters worse, the budget for the sequel is substantially higher than the first movie. The Hollywood Reporter's report says that the sequel's budget is $190 million (for reference, the first movie's budget was $55 million).
The first movie's box office run
This is a far cry from the first Joker, which made over $1 billion worldwide. It was a surprise hit for Warner Bros, grossing $96 million in its domestic opening weekend. In total, the movie made over $335 million domestically and $743 million internationally.
Joker was also a big critical success, earning 11 Oscar nominations. These nominations included Best Picture and Best Director. Joaquin Phoenix won Best Actor for his performance in Joker, and Hildur Guðnadóttir won Best Original Score.
Folie à Deux is unlikely to repeat the first movie's success. Its box office haul has been disappointing, and it has received a lukewarm reaction from critics.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Folie à Deux has a 33% from critics on the Tomatometer. Its Popcornmeter is worse at 31%.
Joker: Folie à Deux is in theaters.
