Christopher Nolan changed the ending of «Joker», and the idea for the sequel came to Joaquin Phoenix in a dream, — The Hollywood Reporter

The Hollywood Reporter (THR) published the material about the behind-the-scenes of «Joker: Madness for Two».

THR reports that Warner Bros. is unlikely to make any personnel changes due to the mixed reception of the sequel. The film received the approval of the entire studio management, turning into a «collective failure» for Warner Bros.

Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdi, who took over Warner Bros. in June 2021, were among the first to decide to create a «Joker» sequel. Toby Emmerich’s predecessor had already agreed on the key terms: director Todd Phillips and actor Joaquin Phoenix received $20 million each, and the film’s budget reached $190 million, compared to $55 million for the first part.

The Warner Bros. management could not refuse to create a sequel, given the overwhelming success of the first «Joker», which became the highest-grossing movie with an R-rating in history. However, during its opening weekend on October 4-6, «Madness for Two» failed, having raised only $37.8 million in the United States and became the first comic book movie to be rated D by CinemaScore.

The Joker: FOLIE A DEUX scores a D. Did you catch this in theaters tonight? We would love to hear your thoughts. #TheJoker #cinemascore pic.twitter.com/FOKksjFRN9

— CinemaScore (@CinemaScore) October 5, 2024

Todd Phillips was given an unprecedented level of creative freedom and final cut. The studio and the director decided not to hold test screenings to avoid spoilers. This decision raised doubts among many, because even for «Avengers: Endgame» such screenings took place.

Interestingly, the endings of both films are associated with the intervention of Christopher Nolan. The director of «The Dark Knight» changed the ending of the first «Joker», where Arthur Fleck had to cut a smile in front of the crowd. Nolan insisted that such a «smile» should only be in Heath Ledger’s version of the JokerIn the end, Joaquin Phoenix's character painted a smile with his own blood.. In the second installment, when Nolan was no longer working with Warner Bros. this element returned, but for a different characterIn the final film, a man carves a smile on his face (out of focus and slightly off-camera). .

Phillips and Phoenix were initially hesitant about making a sequel. They even considered the idea of a Broadway production. But it was Phoenix’s dream that gave them the impetus to develop the concept for the new movie. The actors presented their idea to Emmerich, and the project got the green light.

James Gunn and Peter Szafran, the new heads of DC Studios, emphasized that they were not involved in the creation of «Joker 2». The movie exists outside the main DC universe as a separate project.

Some insiders have characterized «Joker: Madness for Two» as a «very expensive arthouse» created mainly for Joaquin Phoenix himself. Despite the mixed reviews, many in the industry believe that the decision to make a sequel was the right one, given Todd Phillips’ previous successes and his importance to Warner Bros.