Phoenix’s departure from Todd Haynes’s project raises questions at the Venice Film Festival, overshadowing the ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ premiere and sparking discussions about his future in Hollywood.
At the Venice Film Festival, Venice, Ben Dalton from Screen International emerged as the unexpected star during the “Joker: Folie à Deux” press conference, which followed the film’s Wednesday night premiere. This highly anticipated Joker sequel launch came with some controversy. Dalton bravely asked Joker actor Joaquin Phoenix why he left Todd Haynes’s unnamed NC-17 gay romance movie in August, just before filming was set to start in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Joaquin Phoenix’s Response
After a thoughtful pause, Phoenix replied, “Sharing my view alone wouldn’t be fair. The other creatives aren’t here to speak, so it doesn’t seem right. I’m not sure how helpful that would be. I think I’ll pass on explaining.”
From the outside, Phoenix’s departure from a project he helped create might seem minor. But in Hollywood, it’s a shadow over the flashy Joker 2 launch (which introduces Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, or “Lee,” the troubled love interest to Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck). It’s damaged Joaquin Phoenix news and standing and could hurt his chances for a second best actor nod in the Oscar nominations. As IndieWire first reported, Haynes called Phoenix the project’s “driving force.” They worked together on the explicit 1930s gay romance movie, set to co-star Danny Ramirez from “Top Gun: Maverick” as part of the Venice romance cast. It would have been Phoenix’s first gay role on screen.
It’s like starting a company based on your idea, one that needs your unique touch to take off. Then, after investors pour in money and people spend months getting things ready, you decide you’d rather not be involved.
Actress Lady Gaga at the 81st Venice International Film Festival
Photo credit: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Behind the Scenes: Production Challenges
An insider close to the production told Variety that Joaquin Phoenix might have gotten “nervous,” and crew members have guessed that the graphic nature of the Harley Quinn sex scenes unsettled him. A studio executive shared with the Hollywood Reporter that there was “anger” over the situation. THR and Matthew Belloni at Puck noted that producers were thinking about taking legal action against Phoenix for the financial losses.
Legal and Industry Repercussions
By leaving the 49-year-old actor, who is set to marry Rooney Mara, left the project without a big-name star and with no chance to change course and find a new lead, especially since he’d already been so crucial in shaping the role. Former New York Times film critic Janet Maslin called Phoenix “now-uninsurable” on X and suggested Colin Farrell as a possible replacement. Film critic Glenn Kenny also posted, “If [Joaquin Phoenix ] thinks the rest of the movie industry will take his messing up Todd Haynes’s project lightly, I think he’s wrong.”
Venice Film Festival’s Unexpected Drama
Even the Venice Film Festival seems to have been caught up in the drama: The “Folie à Deux” sequel premiere was unusually late for such a highly anticipated movie in a festival that has been running for a week already. The Wednesday premiere is right up against the usual start of the Toronto International Film Festival, and people from the film industry and international press planning to fly straight there had to change their travel plans. When Venice made its schedule, the festival would have been talking with Phoenix’s team during his planned Haynes shoot in Mexico. (The festival didn’t respond to a request for comment.)
The uproar has cast a shadow over what should be a triumphant comeback for the actor and director Todd Phillips. The first “Joker” film’s unexpected Golden Lion win here kickstarted its journey to 11 Oscar nominations and victories for Best Original Score and Phoenix for Best Actor. Not to mention its $1 billion worldwide box office haul, making it the top-grossing R-rated film ever until “Deadpool & Wolverine” took the crown this year.
“I think it’s much harder to follow up on success than to come in as an underdog,” Phillips admitted at the press conference. “… There’s definitely more anxiety this time around than with the first one.”
The Sequel’s Unique Approach
The nervousness is understandable. The sequel is basically a musical psychological thriller set in the mind of a troubled maximum-security prisoner and killer of six, stuck in jail, becoming a cult figure through his televised trial that might end in execution, and falling into a rocky, fierce romantic connection with Gaga’s Lee. Early feedback on the film, set to hit U.S. theaters Oct. 4, has been harsh.
Musical Elements and Audience Expectations
Both Arthur and Lee often burst into song, with shaky, unsteady voices, performing ’50s and ’60s hits — like Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” and Dean Kay and Kelly Gordon’s “That’s Life” — with lyrics that somehow fit their current emotional state. These musical numbers are a departure from the gritty realism of the first film.
While Phoenix wasn’t ready to let go of the character, the director knew he wouldn’t do a sequel unless it felt fresh and daring. “If we were really going to do it, it had to challenge him like the first one did,” Phillips explained. “It had to feel bold and showcase audacious filmmaking.”
The first movie, a grim backstory of the troubled loner who’d become Batman’s nemesis, rode on the DC Comics brand and the buzz around it. This included Homeland Security’s alert about possible shootings at screenings and claims that it glorified incel culture behavior. Focusing on a disgruntled White man who feels betrayed by society and starts a violent uprising, it seemed to reflect American society as the 2020 election approached.
The sequel features a touching waltz and a dream scene where the leads play a deadly Sonny and Cher — which might be a tougher sell to hardcore comic fans and male viewers who watched the first film repeatedly. Its relevance is more subtle, but its biggest crowd scenes, with hundreds of extras playing pro-Joker acolytes, were shot outside the New York State Supreme Court near the Donald Trump indictment hearing in March 2023.
Inspiration and Artistic Choices
Phillips said the idea came from Phoenix’s Joker’s uninhibited dance on that famous Bronx staircase in the first movie. “Joaquin and I often discussed on set that Arthur has music inside him,” Phillips explained. For this film, knowing Arthur would have a “Lady Joker” alter-ego, Gaga was an obvious choice, as was using standards Arthur might have heard with his mom when younger. Given his limited exposure to the outside world, these might be his only musical references.
Phoenix was friendly with the press, warmly greeting everyone and giving detailed answers, but he had boundaries. He politely declined when Phillips asked him to share a dream that inspired the second film, only discussing it when a reporter asked directly.
Phoenix shared, “I dreamt I was Joker, singing on stage. I called Todd thinking it might lead somewhere, but it didn’t.”
Phoenix’s Commitment and Challenges
For the first movie, Phoenix lost a staggering 52 pounds, showcasing his commitment to weight loss for roles. This time, he looked equally thin, if not more. An early jail scene shows his left shoulder blade jutting out like a fin.
However, Phoenix avoided discussing his weight loss. “It’s not really dangerous. I worked with a doctor. Thanks for asking,” he said, keeping details private. He noted that the numerous dance rehearsals were the most challenging part this time.
Gaga said, “We gave him blueberries when he was hungry.”
While the first film seemed to explore Joker’s origins, this sequel blends elements of classic musicals like “Singin’ in the Rain” with the dark tones of “Sweeney Todd.” It also comments on sensationalized courtroom TV, showing Joker’s fanbase growing as his trial airs.
Phillips acknowledges potential Trump parallels in the movie.
“Love him or hate him, Trump appeals to a certain group because he speaks and acts freely,” Phillips explained in his Variety profile. “He is unapologetically himself, and people respond to that.”
Source:
Jada Yuan (September 4, 2024). Joaquin Phoenix’s artful non-answers at ‘Joker 2’ presser in Venice. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2024/09/03/2024-best-fall-pop-concerts/. Accessed September 4, 2024
Header Photo
Actor Joaquin Phoenix at the 81st Venice International Film Festival
Photo credit: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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