Article content The second act of “Joker” has left audiences unamused, falling flat at the box office, sparking fan outrage over Lady Gaga’s limited screen time and earning a grim “D” CinemaScore – reportedly the lowest grade ever received by a comic book movie. While “Joker: Folie a Deux” topped the weekend box office, it earned a bleak domestic opening of $40 million in domestic ticket sales, according to reports. That figure is far behind 2019’s “Joker,” which set an October record with its domestic $96.
2 million opening and went on to earn more than $1 billion globally. In “Folie a Deux,” director Todd Phillips reunited with actor Joaquin Phoenix, in the titular anti-hero role, and enlisted Lady Gaga as his love interest and co-conspirator. The sequel finds Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) in custody at Arkham Asylum where he meets fellow inmate Harleen “Lee” Quinzel (Lady Gaga) – better known as Joker’s deranged sidekick, Harley Quinn – while awaiting trial for his murderous rampage in Gotham.
Unlike the first film, “Folie a Deux” is a fantasy musical, featuring cover songs and original songs by Lady Gaga who released a companion album, “Harlequin” last month. The global pop star was heavily billed alongside Phoenix ahead of the movie’s premiere on Friday, and prerelease tracking last month projected the sequel would earn $70 million for Warner Bros. But that figure continually dropped over the weekend as audience turnout tapered off.
.
