JOKER: DEUX FOLIE – Warner Bros. Discovery CEO acknowledges sequel’s “disappointing box office performance”

Warner Brothers must have been confident that Todd Phillips, director of Joker : Folie a Deux, would deliver a hit, as his first film was the highest grossing R-rated film of all time. However, the sequel failed to match its predecessor and only reached fourth place on the iTunes and Fandango charts. “We must admit that even in an industry with hits and misses our studios must deliver more consistency, Zaslav said during a call for investors today. “For the last two years, our motion picture studio has been driving change to improve franchise management and green light governance. These remain focal points moving forward. It takes time to translate operational changes into positive results, but I think we will see these strategic shifts produce better outcomes in the next few years. Zaslav continued to praise the success of HBO’s The Batman

series. “Stories like The Penguin that can shape culture, spark conversations, and become appointment viewing, always win over time.Phillips has previously said that he never had any intention of returning for a third film, but if there were tentative plans to continue the franchise with a “Lee Quinzel” (Lady Gaga) movie or some other spin-off, they have almost certainly been scrapped.Hopefully, James Gunn and Peter Safran can usher in a successful new era of DC Comics-based projects when the DCU officially gets underway with

Creature Commandos this December and next year’s Superman

reboot

From acclaimed writer/director/producer Todd Phillips comes Joker: Folie A Deux, the much-anticipated follow-up to 2019’s Academy Award-winning

Joker

, which earned more than $1 billion at the global box office and remains the (second) highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.The new film stars Joaquin Phoenix once again in his Oscar-winning dual role as Arthur Fleck/Joker, opposite Oscar winner Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born). The film also stars Oscar nominees Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin

) and Catherine Keener (Get Out, Capote), alongside Zazie Beetz, reprising her role from Joker.

The movie is rated R for “some strong violence, language throughout, some sexuality, and brief full nudity.”Have you watched the Joker sequel yet, or did the reviews put you off? Please let us know what you think in the comments below.