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‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Tracking for $70M-Plus Opening, Well Behind First Film’s $96M Debut

Director Todd Phillips' divisive, genre-busting sequel starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga combines superhero themes with musical sequences.

The first Joker was both an awards and commercial success, with Phoenix winning the Oscar for best actor for his portrayal of the menacing Arthur Fleck/Joker and the film earning north of $1 billion at the worldwide box office. The duo are known for their toxic romantic relationship in the comics, with the title Folie à Deux referencing the medical term for an identical or similar mental disorder impacting two or more people. Phillips and Phoenix had no interest in making a traditional sequel and prerequisites included that Joker 2 “had to feel audacious” and “like we were really swinging for the fences,” Philips said at a press conference in Venice, where he was flanked by his two lead actors.

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