Paul Schrader doesn’t give a fuck. He really doesn’t. And you can tell just from reading his social media posts or the interviews he’s given over the past several years. The most interesting posts he makes are about other people’s films, where he gives the most honest critique. Sometimes his opinion about a film is positive, but other times it’s… not great. 

READ MORE: Paul Schrader Says The Only Filmmakers Who Find Success With Streaming Are “Privileged Babies”

In a recent piece for Interview, Paul Schrader was asked about his thoughts regarding “Joker: Folie à Deux,” and you know he wasn’t about to hold back. 

Continue reading Paul Schrader Calls ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ A “Bad Musical” & Walked Out During His Screening at The Playlist.

As if the opening weekend box office numbers were bad enough for “Joker: Folie à Deux,” the second weekend record that was set is even more embarrassing. Now, after a rough 10 days in theaters, there is now an estimate of how much money Warner Bros. is going to lose from Todd Phillips’ bomb. And it’s perhaps the most embarrassing of all. 

According to Variety, box office experts predict that “Joker: Folie à Deux” will lose somewhere between $150 million and $200 million by the time it leaves theaters.

Continue reading ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Could Lose Up To $200 Million From Its Theatrical Run at The Playlist.

Things aren’t going so well for Warner Bros. and its most recent release, “Joker: Folie à Deux.” The film debuted in theaters this past weekend and had a dismal showing, both in box office and in customer ratings. To put it in perspective, the film somehow had a lower CinemaScore than Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” [D vs. D+, respectively]. But that didn’t actually stop the aforementioned Coppola from praising Todd Phillips’ new ‘Joker’ sequel.

Continue reading ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’: Francis Ford Coppola Praises Film For Being “One Step Ahead” Of The Audience at The Playlist.

I don’t know why we didn’t expect this to happen. The writing was on the wall the whole time. Alas, now we know Lady Gaga is going to release a new album, “Harlequin,” on September 27 that ties into the release of her upcoming film, “Joker: Folie à Deux.”

READ MORE: ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Review: This Sequel May Cost Phillips Some Fans, But It Will Convert the Agnostics [Venice]

According to Gaga herself, the upcoming “Harlequin” is an album meant to accompany the release of “Joker: Folie à Deux.” It’s inspired by the film but doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a soundtrack.

Continue reading ‘Harlequin’: Lady Gaga Announces Companion Album To The Upcoming ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ at The Playlist.

We are only a couple of weeks away from the release of Todd Phillips’ highly anticipated sequel, “Joker: Folie à Deux.” And honestly, it doesn’t feel like there’s this huge groundswell of support like what happened with the first film. Sure, box office projections are pretty high, but the sequel has giant shoes to fill if it wants to match the $1 billion gross of the original. 

READ MORE: 2024 Fall Film Preview: 50 Movies To Watch

As seen in the new trailer for “Joker: Folie à Deux,” we get a better look at what people can expect from the sequel.

Continue reading ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Trailer: Lady Gaga Serenades & Joaquin Phoenix Is In Court In Todd Phillips’ Sequel at The Playlist.

While there have been multiple trailers and already folks are reviewing it out of Venice, there appears to still be some secrets left in “Joker: Folie à Deux’ for audiences to discover for themselves. Hell, it wasn’t until the most recent trailer that we found out that Harvey Dent is a character in the film. And according to the actor who plays that role, he didn’t even know he was auditioning for the part when he met Todd Phillips. 

Continue reading ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’: Harry Lawtey Didn’t Realize He Was Auditioning For Harvey Dent Role at The Playlist.

When speaking about films in an increasingly saturated and click-hungry media landscape, very few descriptors are so rarely merited and so often used as “divisive.” But if there is one recent film deserving of the adjective, it is Todd Phillips’s “Joker.” 

After a career built on directing American comedies like “The Hangover” and “School of Scoundrels,” Phillips turned his attention to a very different kind of comic to craft his take on the infamous green-haired villain.

Continue reading ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Review: This Sequel May Cost Phillips Some Fans, But It Will Convert the Agnostics [Venice] at The Playlist.

Every agreeably great director seems to have a distinct style, a personal voice, a kind of film that only they could make right. Do it long enough and online film enthusiasts will add the hallowed suffix “-esque” to the director’s name in a feeble attempt to define what makes their films so good. Until 2019, for Todd Philips this personal style came in the form of slapstick, yet astoundingly successful, road-trip comedies like “The Hangover” and “Due Date.

Continue reading ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Clip: Joaquin Phoenix & Lady Gaga Bring Music To Todd Phillips’ Sequel at The Playlist.

Every year, we have the push and pull of cinema, a tension that keeps the medium healthy and on its toes. The big studio blockbusters, franchises, and the like dominate summer. Then fall is primarily reserved for the adult drama, the Oscar contenders, and arthouse films (and yes, some big tentpole escapist fare is released too, generally around Thanksgiving on Christmas).  But it all kicks off every year with the Venice Film Festival, which is followed closely by the Telluride Film Festival (more on that one later this week).

Continue reading Venice 2024 Film Festival Preview: 15 Must-See Movies To Watch at The Playlist.

Months ago, reports started to float around saying Todd Phillips’ “Joker” sequel was going to be a musical. This made people equally intrigued and confused. But now that we’re closer to the film’s release and we’ve seen a trailer, it makes a bit more sense. So, not only now are we expecting “Joker: Folie à Deux” to be a musical, but according to the filmmaker, this is also a farewell.

Continue reading Todd Phillips Says He Isn’t Interested In Doing A ‘Joker 3’ at The Playlist.

When it was announced that Lady Gaga was cast in “Joker: Folie À Deux” as the iconic Harley Quinn, there were many who were shocked. Sure, she looks the part, but Gaga’s acting credits have been a bit hit or miss. However, according to director Todd Phillips, the singer-turned-actor brings something special to this unique interpretation of Harley Quinn.

READ MORE: ‘Joker: Folie À Deux’ Trailer: Joaquin Phoenix & Lady Gaga Star In The Joker & Harley Show

Speaking in a recent interview with Empire, Todd Phillips broke down what fans can expect with Lady Gaga’s interpretation of Harley Quinn.

Continue reading ‘Joker: Folie À Deux’: Todd Phillips Says Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn Is Similar To Charles Manson at The Playlist.

Back in 2019, when “Joker” had its world premiere at Venice, everyone was caught off guard by the barrage of glowing reviews. People knew the film might be popular, but no one expected the film to be an awards season contender. Now, with the release of the “Joker” sequel—also making its debut at Venice—people’s expectations are sky high. And according to the Venice director, the film delivers.

Speaking to Deadline, Venice director Alberto Barbera talked about his reaction after seeing “Joker: Folie à Deux.” Yes, it’s in his best interest to promote the hell out of the film, considering it will be premiering at the event.

Continue reading ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’: Venice Director Says It’s A “Dystopian Musical” That Left Him “Astonished” at The Playlist.

Filmmaker Todd Phillips really pulled off the unexpected with “Joker.” For one, the director has been known for a lot of entertaining, fratty comedies (“Old School,” “The Hangover” franchise), but he completely reinvented himself by taking a comic book movie and turning it into a dark drama, a tragedy, and even heartbreaking character study of a mentally ill person descending into madness because of a lack of help, support, and empathy.

Continue reading ‘Joker: Folie À Deux’ Trailer: Joaquin Phoenix & Lady Gaga Star In The Joker & Harley Show at The Playlist.

With the 2024 Cannes Film Festival now over, it’s time for cinephiles to look ahead to the year’s next premier festival: Venice, which runs from August 28-September 7.  Festival chief Alberto Barbera won’t announce the lineup of the Venice’s 81st edition until the last week of July, but Variety reports he already has his eyes on a few buzzy titles.  Among them? The much-anticipated sequel to the 2019 Golden Lion winner.

Continue reading Venice 2024: ‘Joker: Folie á Deux,’ Pablo Larraín’s ‘Maria,’ & More Likely To Premiere In Competition At Festival at The Playlist.

While there are many people eagerly anticipating the release of the “Joker” sequel, titled “Joker: Folie à Deux,” the main point of concern is whether or not the role of Harley Quinn, played by Lady Gaga, can live up to the expectations. Regardless of your opinion of the film, there’s no denying that Joaquin Phoenix was incredible as the villain in “Joker.” He took home an Oscar for it.

Continue reading ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’: Lady Gaga Says Her Version Of Harley Quinn Is “Very Authentic To This Movie” at The Playlist.

The follow-up to the billion-dollar global hit that earned Joaquin Phoenix the Best Actor Oscar statue back in 2020, Warner Bros. spent yesterday promoting the mature comic book sequel “Joker: Folie à Deux” at CinemaCon 2024 in Las Vegas and unveiled a new trailer.

And that trailer has raised all sorts of questions, including how much of a musical the film is and how different it will be from the original “Joker” film.

Continue reading Todd Phillips Says Despite Musical Elements, ‘Joker 2’ Won’t “Veer Too Far” From Original Film at The Playlist.

“He’s not alone anymore.” Against seemingly all odds, given its R-rating, adult nature, and disconnection from traditional cinema superheroics, Warner Bros. “Joker” movie earned over $1 billion at the box office in 2019, the sixth highest-grossing movie of the year, even outgrossing “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker” worldwide.

READ MORE: ‘Joker: Folie á Deux’: Todd Phillips Reveals New Images, Cinematographer Says Sequel Isn’t A Musical

Previously, the highest-grossing R-rated superhero film was “Deadpool 2” ($785.8 million), but “Joker,” a much grittier “Taxi Driver”-esque drama than a superhero film, trumped that figure by nearly $400 million.

Continue reading ‘Joker: Folie À Deux’ Trailer: Lady Gaga Joins Joaquin Phoenix In Musical Supervillain Sequel at The Playlist.

In a revelation that is sure to justifiably anger many, it turns out the stars of Todd Phillips’ “Joker: Folie à Deux” are not being paid anything close to the same salary. The news was just a tidbit in a larger story regarding Warner Bros. Studios’ recent “spending spree” – which many would find debatable – especially considering some of the business choices the company has made. Oh, right, and the movie now has a reported budget of almost $200 million.

Continue reading ‘Joker Folie à Deux’ Budget Balloons To $200 Million at The Playlist.

What’s (mad) love got to do with it? In the case of “Joker: Folie á Deux,” pretty much everything. So it’s no surprise that director Todd Phillips debuted new images from his upcoming sequel on Instagram yesterday for Valentine’s Day. Phillips posted three new photos from his movie on social media yesterday, all featuring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in character. Their caption reads, “Hoping your day is full of love.”

READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2024

The new images may not provide any further info about “Joker: Folie á Deux,” but it does hint that a more official preview is coming soon.

Continue reading ‘Joker: Folie á Deux’: Todd Phillips Reveals New Images, Cinematographer Says Sequel Isn’t A Musical at The Playlist.

Are there outstanding questions about the nature of James Gunn’s DC Studios and what characters are moving forward and which ones aren’t? It depends on who you ask. Gunn, who directed “The Suicide Squad,” has said in the past that Peacemaker (John Cena) and Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) are moving forward, and so is Xolo Maridueña  from “Blue Beetle.” But if you directed a ‘Suicide Squad’ movie and made a” Peacemaker” spin-off series from it, wouldn’t you want all the remaining members of the team to move forward to have consistency (especially since you cast and or worked with all of them once already?)

READ MORE: James Gunn Confirms Three Actors Returning To Their DC Roles In The New DCU

One would argue that’s one of the sticking points some fans have with Gunn’s DCU moving forward, and perhaps chiefly, is Margot Robbie going to continue as Harley Quinn in the DC Studios universe?

Continue reading Margot Robbie Suggests She May Not Return To Harley Quinn & She’s OK With “Passing On” The Role To Lady Gaga at The Playlist.

2024 will be an interesting year for superhero films and the comic book genre—especially after a dire 2023. This year was arguably the worst year for superheroes ever—four DC movies bombed in a row (“Shazam! Fury Of The Gods,” “The Flash,” “Blue Beetle” and “Aquaman 2”), Marvel’s “Secret Invasion” show received the lowest reviews in the company’s Disney+ series history, and they had one bonafide box office flop in “The Marvels.” So, what’s the plan for 2024?

Continue reading ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’: Todd Phillips Reveals New Photos Of Joaquin Phoenix & Lady Gaga In Supervillain Sequel at The Playlist.

Well, here we are again. With 2023 finally coming to a close, it’s time to look to next year and the Most Anticipated Films Of 2024 (Strike Affected Edition). It’s been a very weird year with the SAG and WGA strike affecting everything, playing havoc with release date schedules in a similar way that the pandemic did. So, right off the bat, let’s discount films that are no longer on the 2024 docket.

Continue reading The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2024 at The Playlist.

Lady Gaga has sold millions and millions of records and tickets to shows over the course of her years-long singing career, but when it comes to acting, she seems to be fully committed to the art of performing on screen. That commitment includes the idea of going “method”  on set, never breaking character even when cameras aren’t rolling. According to cinematographer Lawrence Sher, Gaga’s method created plenty of awkward moments on the set of “Joker: Folie à Deux.”

In a recent episode of The Trenches Talk, Lawrence Sher, the cinematographer on both “Joker” and the forthcoming “Joker: Folie à Deux,” spoke about his unique relationship with actress Stefani Germanotta, aka Lady Gaga, who plays Harley Quinn in the new film. 

READ MORE: Lady Gaga Studied A House Cat, A Fox & A Panther To Help Her Get Into Character For ‘House of Gucci’

You see, much like we’ve been made aware by interviews with the singer-turned-actress regarding her previous work, Lady Gaga loves to go full method on set.

Continue reading ‘Joker 2’: Lawrence Sher Said He “Never Met” The Real Lady Gaga On Set As She Would Only Answer To Her Character’s Name at The Playlist.

While there are plenty of people who can debate the merits of Todd Phillips’ Oscar-winning film, “Joker,” there is really no denying the film looks great. And a large part of that look falls on the shoulders of cinematographer Lawrence Sher. And in a new interview with Matti Haapoja, Sher went deep into breaking down the look of “Joker,” while also teasing one of the influences for the upcoming sequel.

Continue reading ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’: Cinematographer Lawrence Sher Says Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘One From The Heart’ Influenced The Look Of The Sequel at The Playlist.

Although production officially wrapped on Todd Phillips‘ “Joker: Folie á Deux” earlier this week, it’s not in theaters for another year and a half. That’s right: Warner Bros. currently has the sequel to the 2019’s “Joker” slated for an October 24, 2024 release, and that’s tentative to change. But for fans of Phillips’ and Joaquin Phoenix‘s take on the iconic Batman villain, here are a couple of new and official first-look photos from “Folie á Deux” to tide you over.

Continue reading ‘Joker: Folie á Deux’: Todd Phillips Reveals New First-Look Photos For His Upcoming Sequel at The Playlist.