Lady Gaga Discusses the Criticism of Joker 2
One of the most talked-about movies of 2024 has been Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to the critically acclaimed Joker from 2019. In this film, Lady Gaga plays Harley "Lee" Quinzel, the complex love interest of Joaquin Phoenix’s character, Arthur Fleck. Unfortunately, Folie à Deux did not perform well, garnering negative reviews and underwhelming box office results.
In a recent interview with Elle, Gaga addressed the backlash surrounding Joker 2. She stated, “People just sometimes don’t like some things. It’s that simple. And I think to be an artist, you have to be willing for people to sometimes not like it. And you keep going even if something didn’t connect in the way that you intended.”
Gaga acknowledged the emotional toll that criticism can take on an artist. "When that makes its way into your life, that can be hard to get control of. It’s part of the mayhem,” she added.
The plot of Joker: Folie à Deux follows Arthur Fleck, now a patient at Arkham State Hospital, as he waits for trial after committing murders in the first film. At Arkham, he falls in love with Lee, who idolizes the Joker. The sequel includes musical elements and dance numbers that aim to portray Arthur’s true identity.
The original Joker was a massive success, earning over $1 billion at the box office and receiving 11 Oscar nominations, including wins for Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix) and Best Original Score (Hildur Guðnadóttir). However, the sequel did not live up to such high expectations.
Joker: Folie à Deux received a low “D” CinemaScore, marking the worst rating for a comic book film. The film only grossed $207 million worldwide against a budget of nearly $200 million, leading to losses for Warner Bros., estimated between $150 million to $200 million.
Despite its challenges, Joker: Folie à Deux is currently available for streaming on Max.
The 2019 film, directed by Todd Phillips, became a cultural sensation, praised for its unique take on the origin of Joker and its exploration of mental health issues. This legacy made the sequel's underperformance particularly disappointing for fans and the studio alike.
LadyGaga, Joker2, Criticism