The sequel to the 2019 blockbuster Joker, which collected $204 million globally, ironically failed at the box office despite heavy promotion. Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about what he thinks went wrong. Joker: Folie à Deux, which was made with a $200 million budget, struggled to cross the $100 million mark and according to Zaslav the studio’s inconsistency may have contributed to this.
“Even in an industry of hits and misses, we must recognize that our studio business must provide more stability,” the CEO told the outlet on November 7. He acknowledged that the issue is prominent at his studio and reinforced new rules following the film’s box office failure, according to Variety.
However, Zaslav also acknowledged his studio’s hits, including the blockbuster Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which was released in September and grossed more than $400 million worldwide, placing it close to 2023’s biggest hit, Barbie. . The CEO said that despite some missteps, his TV studio “is on track to have its most profitable year in terms of scripted content in the last five years.”
The Joker sequel follows Joaquin Phoenix’s DC villain as he faces the consequences of his actions in the previous film. The Joker is facing the death penalty after brutally murdering Murray Franklin (played by Robert De Niro). However, according to the synopsis, during her stay at Arkham State Hospital she “found not only true love, but also the music that was always inside of her.”
His girlfriend Harleen ‘Lee’ Quinzel aka Harley Quinn is played by music sensation Lady Gaga, a departure from the first film. Another notable change in the sequel was the musical element, which according to the creators served as a means for the leads to communicate with each other without words.
The Oscar-winning actor admitted in various interviews during the film’s press tour that he was nervous about singing in front of Gaga, but he deliberately decided to keep the singing raw, untouched by autotunes.
