Following Joker: Folie à Deux‘s disappointing opening weekend, several reports have surfaced about behind-the-scenes tensions during the film’s production, including director Todd Phillips’ reluctance to work with DC Studios’ new leadership.
According to Variety, Phillips distanced himself from DC despite the appointment of James Gunn and Peter Safran as co-CEOs of DC Studios just months before production on Joker: Folie à Deux began. Phillips reportedly preferred to work directly with Warner Bros. motion picture group chiefs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, avoiding collaboration with DC Studios’ new heads. The report also notes that the DC Studios logo is noticeably absent at the start of the film, in contrast to other recent DC projects such as HBO’s The Penguin and the documentary Super/Man. However, a Warner Bros. representative clarified that the logo does appear at the end of the film.
Neither Gunn nor Safran attended the film’s September 30 Los Angeles premiere. Gunn was reportedly filming Peacemaker Season 2 in Atlanta, while Safran was sick, according to a DC Studios spokesperson. Gunn, who is known for being open with fans on social media, has yet to comment on the situation.
In a separate report, The Hollywood Reporter revealed other intriguing details about the production, including that it was Joaquin Phoenix who first proposed a sequel to the 2019 Joker after dreaming up the idea. Phoenix and Phillips even considered creating a Broadway musical before ultimately deciding to move forward with the film sequel.
One of the more controversial aspects of Joker: Folie à Deux is its ending. The film concludes with Arthur Fleck being killed in prison by a new character (played by Connor Storrie), who then carves a smile into his own face. Interestingly, this echoes a scene originally considered for the first Joker film, where Arthur was set to do something similar in front of his supporters. However, Christopher Nolan, who was still with Warner Bros. at the time, reportedly nixed the idea, believing that only his version of the Joker (played by Heath Ledger) should carve a smile into his face.
These reports offer a fascinating glimpse into what appears to have been a turbulent production. With poor reviews and weak word of mouth, Joker: Folie à Deux opened to a disappointing $37.8 million, less than half of what its predecessor earned during its debut. Box office analysts have called the film’s performance an “unmitigated disaster” for Warner Bros., and recovery seems unlikely in the coming weeks.