Five years of waiting for less than one month in theaters. Joker 2 is oficially one of the great disappointments of 2024. Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga's film will be available for digital rental on October 29th. After a five-year wait and a disappointing box office performance, the film's theatrical run has been cut short in less than a month, since its release on October 4th. However, many critics contend that the film's disappointing box office numbers are not indicative of its quality, but rather a result of failing to connect with the appropriate audience.
In any case, the box office disaster for Joker 2 came as no shock to the filmmakers. The director, fearing a backlash, isolated himself in a ranch. Warner and Gunn had reason to be concerned, given Phillips' insistence on working independently. He demanded complete creative freedom, shutting out any advice or warnings about the film's direction. Warner Bros. will alegedlly loose from 150 to 200 million dollars on this movie. Sure, big studios sometimes miss the mark, but it defies logic for them to botch the sequel to a billion-dollar blockbuster.
In short, turning the adventures of Joker and Harley Quinn into a musical has not pleased fans of these characters, and word of mouth has quickly killed this film directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. From now on, and except for 'The Batman 2', the future of the DC universe will be solely in the hands of James Gunn, whose new version of 'Superman' will kick off a new era (hopefully more successful) of DC films next year.
