The JOKER Sequel Had a $200 Million Budget! Did It Really Need a Budget That Big?
In a recent report from Variety, it was revealed that the budget for director Todd Phillips’ Joker sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, ballooned to $200 million, which is insane to be considering the first movie cost only $60 million to make. Does a Joker sequel that is going to be a musical really need a budget of $200 million?! No.
It’s explained that Joaquin Phoenix is getting $20 million to reprise his role as Arthur Fleck, while Lady Gaga is getting paid $12 million to play Harley Quinn. So what was the rest of the money used for? Probably to fill the pockets of the producers. But, seriously, it should not have cost $200 million for a sequel to Joker. As someone who’s never had money to burn, it just seems like poor decision-making, especially when right now, movies that should be big at the box office, have underperformed. James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy won’t even get that kind of budget.
The Joker sequel will be a musical and its story will mostly be set in Arkham Asylum. The film’s working title, Joker: Folie à Deux, refers to the clinical term for the “shared madness,” hallucinations, and delusions of two people. For $200 million, Phillips better pull off some pretty spectacular moments!
During a previous interview with cinematographer Lawrence Sher, he says the project is a “big swing.” He explains: “Something I appreciate about Todd Phillips — who I’ve done seven movies with, including Joker — is that he’s always taking risks. We’ve got the new Joker coming out next year and we’re just finishing up post-production on it. This movie is a big swing and it’s going to be really surprising to people. I’m so excited for everyone to see it.”
The movie also stars Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond, with Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland, and Brendan Gleeson who will be playing undisclosed characters.
Warner Bros. will release the film in theaters on October 4th, 2024.