The recent announcement via The Hollywood Reporter that Lady Gaga is in talks to join actor Joaquin Phoenix and director Todd Phillips on Joker 2, which will also be a musical, has movie fans intrigued, excited, and full of opinions all over the Internet.
Although Gaga has yet to officially join the cast, Todd Phillips did post a picture on Instagram of the script’s title page and of Phoenix reading the pages for the first time. Even though the rumors surrounding Joker 2 are not fully confirmed, some Redditors have already expressed strong opinions.
It Shouldn’t Be A Musical
Perhaps more shocking than the reveal of Lady Gaga joining the cast as Harley Quinn was the revelation that Joker 2 will be a musical. Dawesfan jokingly wrote that they are “not ready for the ‘Joker 2 is the best musical ever’ takes from the guy who has only seen one musical: Joker 2.”
This comment sheds light on the fact that the typical demographic of fans who respond to movies like Joker is not the same demographic as that of musical theater fans. Those folks tend to not respond well when those who have little musical theater experience dabble in the art form. Though Phoenix and Gaga have sung on camera before in films like Walk the Line and A Star is Born, this would be Todd Phillips’s first venture into musical theater.
It Will Make Less Money
According to Box Office Mojo, Joker grossed $1 billion dollars worldwide after its release in 2019, a feat for an R-rated film. However, DarthTaz_99 offered an interesting perspective, expressing that the “chances of [Joker 2] making a billion again decreases…with it being a musical.”
This perspective matches with some of the best Twitter reactions about Joker 2. Perhaps the striking genre change will not help bring in the same kinds of crowds, thereby ultimately hurting its chances of matching or beating the record set by the first film. Musicals do bring in a consistent fan base, but fans of comic book movies might be so turned off by this change that they will opt out of going to the cinema.
It’s Not True To The Comics
Though some were impressed by the ways in which the first film utilized a darker realism in its portrayal of a comic book character, some fans of the Batman comics did not feel the same. Motorblonkwakawaka captured this feeling when adding that “they’re not keeping the comic book fans in mind with this take on the character.”
Joker divided critics and audiences upon its release, partially for this very reason. Comic book fans may be even less inspired by the genre shift towards musical theatre because it may feel like a further step away from the comics. Though Phillips and his team have every right to approach their film however they wish, it will be hard to please everyone when the source material is so familiar to folks and so highly regarded.
DC Movies Are Not As Strong As Marvel Ones
Although Todd Phillips’s Joker films are technically not a part of the same universe as other DC films like Justice League, it is impossible not to associate them as part of the same brand. Acidflare1 did not hold back when they expressed how “it sounds like DC is trying to drive itself into the ground with every movie decision they make.”
Many subsequent comments pointed out the fact that DC movies have been less successful than those from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, it should be noted that although Wonder Woman 1984 was less successful than its predecessor, The Suicide Squad was critically well received and The Batman had a strong showing at the box office this year. Joker 2 may be part of a different universe anyway, but it is not entirely correct to suggest that all DC movies are lacking.
The Tone Will Be Hard To Pull Off
Musicals can be tricky, especially ones that are darker in subject matter. Furthermore, there is something about musicals that feels antithetical to what the 2019 film was. Put_It_All_On_Blck points out that they “hope [the filmmakers] don’t make it sound like it was sung in a sound stage, as The Joker movie is gritty and fairly based in reality.”
Musicals deal with emotions that are so heightened that characters must break into song, thereby breaking the prism of reality. Since the first Joker film was all about grounding a comic book villain into a world of gritty realism, the inherent nature of musicals subverts that goal. Therefore, the tonal transitions from realism to musical numbers will be especially difficult to pull off successfully.
The Fanbase Will Change
Fans of the first film have already expressed being turned off by the announcement, which begs the question: who is this sequel for? Additional_Meeting_2 writes that “many people who hated the first one will have to reluctantly become fans now…There are so many musical and Gaga fans who are [the] types who hated the first one.”
There is nothing wrong with broadening an audience to include more folks, and it could be successful to have a prestige comic book film that also attracts musical theater lovers and fans of pop star/actress Lady Gaga. However, the combination could also backfire, especially if there is not much overlap among these groups and if true fans of the first film feel like this sequel is not for them.
The First Film Was Problematic
The 2019 Joker did not come without extensive criticism. Turkeygobblegobblr expressed frustration that “in addition to the obvious of [Joker] being a poor knock off of two other films, it was inane. It had nothing to say but was convinced it did”
Much of that criticism revolved around the idea that Joker was less a tribute to gritty 1970s-1980s crime dramas and more a copy of those films. There were also plenty of folks like this Reddit user who felt the film lacked real depth when it came to the central topic of mental illness. If the response to the first film serves as any indication, a sequel of Joker could have the same problems.
Audiences Will Love It Or Hate It
Bold filmmaking choices often lead to divided responses, whether or not they ultimately work. Cheesyry captures this sentiment when they added the following to the online discourse: “A sequel to Joker that is a musical and co-starring Lady Gaga…I feel like this is either going to be amazing or a disaster and nowhere in between.”
To be fair, divisive films are the types of movies that provoke memorable reactions. The first Joker was certainly divisive as a result of its bold choices, and in spite of any controversy, it achieved the most Oscar nominations of any film that year and grossed over $1 billion worldwide. The announcements relating to Joker 2 may have completely surprised folks and created a ton of confusion, but that kind of surprise and confusion can often build hype and provoke reactions that are long-lasting.
