Todd Phillips’ first Joker movie received a lot of praise for its unique concept. However, the path to its success was not easy, as the filmmaker didn’t have full control over the movie. Christopher Nolan, who has made numerous movies with Warner Bros, had a major influence and he suggested a specific change to avoid comparisons with Heath Ledger’s iconic Joker. According to The Hollywood Reporter, there were plans for a scene where Joaquin Phoenix’s character would carve a smile on his face. However, Nolan felt this would look very similar to Ledger’s scars from The Dark Knight and requested change. Upon his request, the conclusion was modified and featured the character covering his mouth with blood.
According to a source close to the team, “The ending of the first movie’s original script featured Phoenix’s Joker carving his face in front of a crowd of his supporters. But The Dark Knight filmmaker Christopher Nolan killed that idea, believing that only his Joker (Heath Ledger) should carve his face. But Nolan is no longer at the studio, and thus there was no resistance to the idea this time around.”
Following his disagreements with Warner Bros, during Tenet’s release, Christopher Nolan stopped working with the production house. Nolan then teamed up with Universal Pictures and created the Oscar-winning film, Oppenheimer. Now, just four years after Joker was released, the sequel, Joker: Folie a Deux, includes a shocking ending. (SPOILER) In the new film, when Joaquin Phoenix’s character is stabbed by an inmate at Arkham Asylum, the killer uses a blade to carve a smile on Arthur Fleck’s face.
Joker 2 was one of the most awaited films of the year, but it turned out to be a mix of dark courtroom drama, fantasy and musical, which didn’t blend well together. The film faced difficulties right from its opening weekend, earning just $37 million at the domestic box office. This makes it the fifth DC movie in recent years to struggle financially. Previously Black Adam, Shazam 2, The Flash and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, didn’t get much hype. Meanwhile, other superhero films performed better than Joker 2, like The Flash earned $55 million, Marvel Studios’ The Marvels garnered $46.1 million and Morbius collected over $39 million.
A source close to production told The Hollywood Reporter, “It is complete audience rejection. It’s a huge disaster, but what is the fallout? Who gets the blame? He’s (Todd Phillips) always trusted his gut — and it’s gotten him pretty far. He thought people would get the joke.”
Joker: Folie a Deux stars Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character, alongside Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn. Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan is back with Warner Bros and recently an untitled movie with Matt Damon was announced.
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