Todd Phillips Won — and Lost — by Totally Ignoring DC for ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’

Joker: Folie à Deux should go down as one of the most puzzling movies ever made, not just for its huge drop off in critics’ praise and box office figures, with the first Joker winning Oscars and making over $1 billion, which was at the time a record for an R-rated film. But what shouldn’t be forgotten is the noble statement it makes about the freedom of artists in Hollywood today. During the creation of the film, Todd Phillips supposedly had complete creative control, not even having test screenings. Now, I don’t necessarily disagree with the argument that Phillips is perhaps not the caliber of director to be given such blanket control over the film’s production, and it presents the director as perhaps overly controlling. However, with the pendulum having swung so far toward studio control, maybe it has to swing the other way toward creatives before landing in the middle.

For long, it has been clear Todd Phillips had little intention of sticking directly to the Joker’s lore from DC comics, stating in an interview with Empire that Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) would never be the Clown Prince of Crime as he “isn’t a criminal mastermind.” This was a far more sympathetic interpretation of the character, so this change does make sense, though the fact Phillips refused to even test screen the film, as reported by Variety, perhaps better demonstrates the line in the sand Phillips attempted to draw between himself and the studio. Considering the film’s poor performance, it is fair to say this direction most likely hurt the film. Phillips’ adamant response to fans of the first film seemed to alienate some of the people who enjoyed the first film’s themes around society, whereas the musical and somewhat anticlimactic character study further pushed away those who did not enjoy Joker.

There is a Nobility in the Failure of Todd Phillips’ ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’

Having critiqued the issues surrounding Phillips’ control over the musical sequel, in an era where studios openly focus on existing IP, and esteemed directors like Francis Ford Coppola must finance their own films, like Megalopolis, should Phillips’ doom not be celebrated for what it is at least? You cannot have a perfect film industry. There will be box office bombs, but that doesn’t mean filmmakers shouldn’t be given the studio’s trust. Yes, this probably shouldn’t have been a Joker film series, as it puts baggage on the film Phillips clearly didn’t want as he took his own approach to the character.

However, there is a nobility in these films. The nobility to stick to one’s passion and craft, rather than let it become less authentic under the direction of corporate executives. There’s probably a middle ground to be found here, but with so many completely mediocre films where it’s obvious the studio got way too involved, notably the issues surrounding Warner Bros.’s interference with past D.C. films like Justice League and Suicide Squad,it’s nice to see one where the creative got their way this time.

Joker Folie à Deux is currently in theaters in the U.S.

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