Is 'Joker 2' a Box Office Failure? What Went Wrong with 'Joker: Folie à Deux'?

Joker: Folie à Deux is a recent film, and it has already generated much discussion, but not all of it was praise. Sadly, it made its entrance at a very unfortunate time, too! Warner Bros. Discovery is not the studio powerhouse it once was, but still a giant. With its films hitting a few duds recently, and its recent restructuring. It appears the studio is taking a lot of heat for some big missed bets.

A Critical Look at the New Joker Film

It looks like even a beloved series with big names, Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga still is struggling. It made $133.4 Million, which may seem big for many films but not for Warner Bros. It might not seem all that big. Joker: Folie à Deux may just be the last straw, it didn't do what everyone expected!

There was a lot going on. In 2019 the original Joker did quite well. The recent Batman films made good runs. It looks like these successes in these past years did not bring any solid luck!

In fact, they ended up flopping. The films included

Black Adam
Blue Beetle
Shazam! Fury of the Gods

This may be a trend, but even "The Flash" which also has big stars with its reboot! That was an epic movie moment with Michael Keaton's Batman back on the big screen for a return!

Also Read: New DC Universe Revealed: Superman Reboot Cast, Release Date & More

Where Did the Studio Go Wrong?

Arthur Fleck in Joker Folie a Duex Image

While we all love our big superhero action films, It appears that the studio didn't know its own audience!

You might wonder who's responsible? Well, It could have come from multiple factors but one big name that might have a large role to play. Warner Bros. is undergoing its big changes, with its new DC Studios with big plans for the franchise. You will want to pay attention.

Also Read: Joker: Folie à Deux - Harley Quinn's Transformation: What's New?

The Old Studio Regime

There may be a sense that things are chaotic but this new movie, Joker 2, wasn't all bad!

You can't really blame anyone for where the movie landed. But there was this period with Warner Bros. executives in charge and that was during Toby Emmerich's time leading.

It's said that the foundation of this movie had already been laid before the exec was replaced. Emmerich ended his run back in 2022 with Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy coming in as the replacements for Warner Bros.

At the time the studio had been making big decisions.

The initial "Joker" film was made with a $55 million budget! The newest version needed to expand its budget.
What was unique about Joker, its main stars Joaquin Phoenix and Todd Phillips, really made the first one. The new installment needed to really be unique to give these players what they deserved!
That came at a much steeper cost - about $190 million! That is a major increase!

One person to watch, especially in this period! Walter Hamada was known for leading DC Films during some very important, crucial and turbulent times in the history of DC! That's one reason why, the changes and restructuring around "DC" could not be stopped in the new world for this studio.

Also Read: Why Superman's DCEU Run Didn't Soar: A Look at the Biggest Flaws

The New Boss

Arthur Fleck/Joker (Joaquin Phoenix) interrogating a witness in court in Joker: Folie à Deux Image

The leader of Warner Bros. Discovery was known for making those tough decisions and "DC", had an incredible amount of attention as they struggled.

Fans know that David Zaslav has gotten a bad wrap for some big movie decisions like the Batgirl cancelation, which is still in discussions, with many fans thinking that it should be released after such a big event. It looks like Zaslav and his moves. This created more problems, in the case of Joker: Folie à Deux and the rest of the studio!

This was especially bad because Zaslav, made a very interesting change to what was the most popular way of delivering content! The studio shifted from streaming, and then began pushing theatrical releases, creating lots of challenges.

In a way this became something more for everyone!

Also Read: Joker 2: Folie a Deux - Release Date, Cast, and Why It's a Big Deal

An Overview Of What Went Wrong In Joker 2:

Jack Nicholson, Barry Keoghan, and Joaquin Phoenix as The Joker Image

So many things had to come together and it looked like, with all the hype that the first movie created. The new film could have been another epic movie moment!

The movie had great ideas to make a memorable performance, but these audiences who went to see it. You know those who saw "Joker." back in 2019 were wanting more of the same!
While "Joker 2" wasn't what audiences were wanting, Phoenix, a big name actor who went through the difficult challenge to build such a fantastic character that we got a chance to see it.
It turns out Phoenix might have been the catalyst, it started as an idea for Broadway, but eventually it was turned into a full blown film. The movie could be seen as a very strong artistic decision rather than a box office hit.

It's important to consider why some audiences might think "Joker: Folie à Deux" might not be worth the price of admission. The marketing efforts failed to clearly showcase the message that the filmmakers really wanted to bring across. The original movie, was filled with amazing moments and got viewers wanting to dive deeper into this story! The sequel might have felt lost! What it failed to do was capture that essence and instead felt more like a darker version. While "Joker 2" brought some exciting twists! Some audiences might not have been into the new twist or the darker path.

There's no one easy answer to what went wrong. There was a huge misinterpretation with how fans might view "Joker" and that was an intentional decision on behalf of the filmmakers to go against those initial feelings!

There are no winners in the new era of big film, for "DC." and that is a big challenge, with so much riding on "The DC Universe." to change that impression. If that is a success, we might just see more epic, exciting superhero moments from "DC!".