“Super-bloody,” “very risky” & “damn brilliant”: wild reactions after the first “Joker 2” test screenings

“Joker: Folie À Deux“will hit theaters on October 3, 2024 – finally! Ultimately, ‘Joker’ became a mega surprise hit that not only grossed more than a billion dollars at the box office, but also thrilled the masses and even created a real euphoria. Five years until the sequel quickly feels like half an eternity.

In just under six months, we’ll finally see what happens next for Arthur Fleck (Oscar-winning: Joaquin Phoenix). A select group has already had the chance to see with their own eyes what director Todd Phillips (“Hangover”) has come up with for the sequel to his blockbuster…

Unconventional, bold and brilliant

It has long been known that a lot will change in “Joker 2” – for example, that there will be musical interludes. After all, it is not without reason that the role of Harley Quinn was cast by pop superstar Lady Gaga (“A Star Is Born”), who follows in the footsteps of Margot Robbie (“The Suicide Squad”) and Kaley Cuoco (“Harley Quinn”). The first voices after the test demonstrations are now definitely picking up on this aspect, even if they ultimately do not go into too much detail – which is more than understandable. At the moment, there isn’t even a trailer for the film, let alone an official detailed synopsis!

The cut version, which has now been presented to an exclusive audience, is not yet final, but the first reactions make you curious about the return of Batman’s infamous archenemy: “The film is super bloody, chaotic, aggressive, surreal, but somehow also true to its essence,” it says, among other things. It is also written that the “musical aspect does not come into play in a conventional way”, but “very risky” and “damn brilliant” is, says Joey Monda:

The entertainment side also writes that Gaga is not only equal to her co-star and protagonist Phoenix, but may even be ‘more central’ than the actual protagonist. Exciting qualities such as ‘transformative’ and ‘sensational’ are attributed to her performance.

The surreal, chaotic moments, on the other hand, are similar to the vocal intermezzos: these do not set the tone, but are simply alternated scene by scene. “Familiar figures appear,” it also says – although it is unclear who that means. In addition to Phoenix and Gaga, “Joker” recurring Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumand and Catherine Keener, Brendan Gleeson, Steve Coogan and Ken Leung join in previously unknown roles.

What has also changed is the scale of production. Because with the box office success behind it, Warner Bros. not only had complete confidence in the sequel, but also invested significantly more money into the sequel “Joker 2” – whose production costs are reportedly a whopping $200 million. By comparison, its predecessor cost peanuts ($55 to $77 million).