When Warner Bros. Animation developed the definitive Batman cartoon series in the 1990s, The Animated Series, they repeatedly leaned into those similarities with the Mark Hamill-voiced Clown Prince frequently quoting Bugs Bunny or Porky Pig, and doing bits that wouldn’t look altogether out of place on Animaniacs—the studio’s then recent homage to WB’s storied animation legacy. It’s an idea other WB-produced projects toyed with time and again over the years, including the Margot Robbie-as-Harley Quinn fronted film, Birds of Prey.
And of course, Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck being influenced by the classic WB animated shorts, from Bugs Bunny to Daffy Duck, makes a lot of sense for a character often shown being enamored with Golden Age Hollywood musicals in the first Joker, albeit Phillips would intentionally choose the most dated and problematic musical numbers from a Fred Astaire movie like Shall We Dance as Arthur’s faves. It’s also worth noting in the last Joker: Folie à Deux trailer, Arthur can be seen watching a Pepé Le Pew cartoon on an Arkham television set.
This is thematically is a sharp idea, but the irony comes from Phillips turning to a filmmaker like Chomet to animate a Looney Tunes homage. On one level, this works for the Joker films’ more elevated pedigree. Belleville is one of the most respected adult-oriented animated films in this century and was also an Oscar contender in its day, which befits a movie set for a splashy Venice premiere like Joker 2. However, it seems like the animated talent has as much to do with the fact that under David Zaslav’s leadership, Warner Bros. Discovery has largely abandoned its legacy and history in animation, including by shuttering Cartoon Network’s beloved website, laying off staffers from Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. Animation over the last several years, and ripping the classic Looney Tunes cartoons off their streaming service, Max.
They essentially are throwing Looney Tunes so deeply into the vault that future generations will probably not get the reference in a movie like Joker 2 to ol’ Pepé. So going outside WB to make an homage to WB’s legacy is… interesting.
How this will all play out remains to be seen, including the musical numbers. Personally, we expect something more conceptually surreal and cynical like Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz (1979) than a love letter to classic musicals, a la La La Land. We shall see though when Joker 2 premieres at Venice next month ahead of its Oct. 4, 2024 worldwide release date.
Joker: Folie à Deux will see Todd Phillips honor nearly every type of genre from Warner Brothers’ golden age, including one more daring than musicals… Read More