Highlights
- Joker 2’s premiere at the 2024 Venice Film Festival promises to surpass its predecessor with a darker, musical take on American cinema.
- Alberto Barbera praised Joker 2 as one of the most creative and daring films in recent American cinema.
- With Lady Gaga’s involvement, potential DC character appearances, and a different musical approach, Joker 2 is generating significant buzz.
A Joker 2 review by a notable individual who’s seen the DC movie may have increased the already-high expectations for Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga’s long-awaited film.
Joker debuted to divided opinions, with critics like David Fincher arguing Joker was similar to Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy and critiquing its depiction of mental illness. However, fans praised Joker for Phoenix’s performances, Todd Philipps’ direction, and offering a different take on comic book movies. The supporters were arguably vindicated when Joker grossed over $1 billion at the box office and received several awards, including the Oscar for Best Actor and Best Original Score. Naturally, fans have great expectations for Joker 2, and one person seemingly believes the sequel will meet or surpass them.
Joker 2 will premiere at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, and the event’s chief, Alberto Barbera, offered insight into how the sequel will surpass its predecessor. During an interview with Deadline, Barbera noted that while Joker 2 continues the first entry, the two films are “completely different,” adding that fans will be surprised if they expect the same “in terms of violence.” Barbera also revealed his Joker 2 reaction after seeing the film earlier this year:
When I saw the film in L.A. at the beginning of February there were four or five of us in the screening room, including writer Scott Silver, and we were astonished, our mouths were open at the end of the screening. It is a darker film.
One way in which Joker 2 will differentiate itself from the first film is through music. Joker 2 is a musical featuring covers of pre-existing songs and potentially original material. Barbera made a bold claim about Joker 2‘s place in American cinema and how it will cement Phillips’ reputation as a filmmaker. “It’s a dystopian musical, or a musical of sorts. I think it’s one of the most daring, brave[,] and creative films in recent American cinema. And I think it really confirms Todd Phillips as one of the most creative directors working at the moment,” Barbera said before adding that he would be surprised if the Academy didn’t respond to Joker 2 and saying Phoenix gives an outstanding performance.
This praise should comfort fans worried about Joker 2 trying to recapture lightning in a bottle. While Joker was undoubtedly a financial and award-winning success, recreating that success with a sequel could be difficult. On the other hand, Phillips, Phoenix, Lady Gaga, and the rest of the team have seemingly put everything into Joker 2, and Barbera believes the effort paid off.
The question is, can Joker 2 win over audiences who weren’t fans of the first film? Of course, others could argue the sequel doesn’t need to win over new audiences. The Joker 2 trailers received positive reactions and Lady Gaga’s involvement could attract some of her fans who might otherwise not have been interested in the film. There are also rumors that Joker 2 will feature appearances by classic DC characters, so comic book fans will likely be pleased by the easter eggs bound to be peppered throughout the film. So, there’s no shortage of interest in Joker 2, but whether it measures up remains to be seen.
Joker: Folie à Deux is scheduled to be released in theaters on October 4, 2024.
Source: Deadline
Leave a Reply