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Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux was a disaster from multiple perspectives. The sequel will end its theatrical run soon and appear on streaming services on October 29th. It’s hard to imagine a success story like Joker ending with a bomb like this. Critics and audiences were no kinder to the film, offering very low scores on Rotten Tomatoes. This level of disaster led some to wonder what Todd Phillips intended to accomplish and whether he succeeded.
Todd Phillips Didn’t Make Joker 2 About the Fans
One of the common theories about Joker: Folie à Deux is that Phillips wrote and directed the film as a middle finger to fans. Medium’s Jeremy Fassler penned a piece with the stellar title “Joker: Folie à Deux Flips Off Fans and Haters Alike.” Fassler characterized the film as “a joyless slog which not only resents its audience, but resents the very fact of its existence.” Matt McGloin of Cosmic Book News gave the film a withering one out of ten while responding to what he perceived as a personal assault. Richard Newby of The Hollywood Reporter framed Folie à Deux as a joke on the fans and the creators. The idea of Todd Phillips attacking Joker fans is very popular, but it seems slightly more intense than he may have intended.
In an interview with IGN, Todd Phillips insisted that the film wasn’t about toxic fandom. He addresses the knock-on effects of violence and trauma. Phillips wants to focus on those elements rather than concerning himself with the idea of fandom. He arguably refuses to engage with the question, seemingly pushing back against allegations of commenting on the first film’s fanbase. Phillips is more interested in the bizarre violence narrative in the media. Some may remember news outlets hyperbolically pre-panicking about a Joker-based tragedy that never came to pass. Phillips’ responds to the first fandom question by relitigating his defenses of the first film. In an interview with CBR, Phillips discounted comic book purists entirely. He straightforwardly stated, “You can’t necessarily concern yourself with that when you’re making films.” Fans seemed to be the furthest thing from his mind while making the second Joker film.
Todd Phillips Had That Joker Twist in Mind From the Start
Massive spoilers ahead for Joker: Folie à Deux. The grand finale of the film reveals that Arthur Fleck isn’t the Batman villain fans know and love. His criminal activities inspired a wave of clown criminals, one of whom presumably becomes the title character. This is probably the most controversial element of the film, as a lot of fans feel betrayed. Todd Phillips told IGN they shouldn’t have been. He stated, “The first film is called Joker. It’s not called The Joker.” Phillips notes that the script describes itself as “An Origin Story.” His implication is that Arthur was never intended to be the Joker anyone expected. He was only a catalyst that would later result in the Joker. Phillips fixates on the Joker as a media creation that never quite fits Arthur. Never, in any interview, does he suggest any acknowledgement of the potential rage this reveal would cause.
Variety has the most telling take on Joker: Folie à Deux, though they couldn’t get Todd Phillips to comment. Their piece on the subject notes the fact that Phillips’ reportedly “wanted nothing to do with DC” during production. Interestingly, almost every point writer Tatiana Siegel makes in that Variety piece comes with pushback from a Warner Bros. or DC spokesperson. The absence of the DC logo in the opening credits, the decision to shoot in LA, and the Venice Film Festival premiere all drew comments from the studios. Phillips’ apparent distaste for DC had no such rejoinder. One source told Variety that Phillips refused to listen to feedback, suggesting that many wanted him to cave to fan expectations. The article frames his refusal as the death blow for the project.
As studios consider hiring panels of fans to oversee their creative endeavors, Joker: Folie à Deux will probably reinforce that unhealthy impulse. Phillips appears to be an auteur who reached the end of his audience’s goodwill. Maybe the lesson should be about allotting modest budgets rather than expecting billion-dollar returns. Or, as many have suggested, maybe Joker was a trick that only worked once. It’s not like Todd Phillips has a good track record with sequels. At least it isn’t the Hangover franchise.
