The premiere of the official trailer for Joker: Folie à Deux has sparked considerable excitement, garnering 167 million views in just 24 hours, surpassing even the success of Warner Bros.’ blockbuster, Barbie. This phenomenal viewership was reported after the trailer’s debut at Las Vegas’ CinemaCon, as reported by Variety.
Directed by Todd Phillips, Joker: Folie à Deux is the much-anticipated sequel to the 2019 hit Joker, which was the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, bringing in over US$1 billion globally. Phoenix, who won an Academy Award for his role in the original, returns as the Joker, with Lady Gaga making her debut as Harley Quinn. The sequel also sees the return of Zazie Beetz and introduces Brendan Gleeson in an undisclosed role.
The trailer itself offered glimpses of the Joker in Arkham Asylum and hinted at a complex love story with Harley Quinn. It even outperformed other major 2024 releases in trailer views, including Pixar’s Inside Out 2 and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Yet, it still trails behind Marvel’s record-setting trailer views for Deadpool & Wolverine.
Director Todd Phillips has hinted that the musical elements will enhance Joker: Folie à Deux‘s storytelling, encouraging audiences to reserve judgment until seeing the film. Besides its musical aspect, little is known about the plot, except that it will revolve around Arkham Asylum in a jukebox musical style.
Joker: Folie à Deux will stand apart from the new DC Universe being shaped by DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, not carrying the DC Elseworlds branding. This independence suggests a unique take on the Joker’s story, promising to subvert expectations.
With such a strong start, expectations are high for the DC sequel, signalling robust box office potential. Adding global superstar Lady Gaga to the cast only heightens the anticipation, setting the stage for what could be an even more successful outing than its predecessor. Warner Bros. has reason to be optimistic, given the record-breaking performance of the original Joker and the impressive start of Joker: Folie à Deux.
Joker: Folie à Deux is set to open in cinemas on 4 October.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, games, and comics — you name it. When she’s not reading or geeking out about the latest shows on Netflix, she’s probably playing Honkai: Star Rail, cosplaying, or daydreaming of meeting her idols.
