Todd Phillips Claims ‘Joker 2’ Isn’t a Musical—While Describing It Like One

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As a fan who has lived through the rollercoaster ride that is DC movie adaptations, I must say, the news about ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ taking a musical turn has me intrigued, to put it mildly! The idea of a dark, gritty origin story of Gotham’s most iconic villain intertwined with melodious tunes is as enticing as a Bat-Signal on a stormy night.

Originally, ‘Joker’ (2019) was designed as a single movie without any sequels in mind. Warner Bros. envisioned it as the start of DC Black, a collection of grittier, innovative films apart from the DC Extended Universe. However, director Todd Phillips expressed a desire for a follow-up, leading to the announcement that a sequel was underway by November 2019. By 2023, James Gunn confirmed that ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ won’t be tied to the main DC Universe but will instead be distributed under the ‘Elseworlds’ banner, similar to Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’ series.

As a game enthusiast, I was thrilled when they announced early on that ‘Joker 2’ would incorporate musical components, a daring move that stirred up quite the discussion within the fanbase.

Recently, Variety shared details about the musical aspects of the upcoming movie ‘Joker: Folie à Deux.’ This film is planned as a jukebox musical, with around 15 popular song covers anticipated, such as ‘That’s Entertainment,’ originally from the 1953 musical The Band Wagon, which Judy Garland made iconic. It’s possible that original songs might also be incorporated into the film.

During an interview with Variety, Todd Phillips, the director, discussed the musical-like quality of the movie. While he didn’t label it a musical himself, his explanation appeared to match the characteristics typically found in that genre.

The majority of the tunes in the film are essentially lyrics disguised as songs. Instead of speaking directly about his feelings, Arthur expresses them musically.

Additionally, Phillips finds it challenging to classify the film, striving to keep audience members from being put off by typical music tropes or stereotypes.

I’d prefer to avoid creating an atmosphere similar to ‘In the Heights,’ with a woman from the store bursting into song, everyone joining in, and police dancing, though I adore ‘In the Heights.’

Regardless of Phillips’ remarks, it’s hard not to recognize that the film maintains its undeniable character as a musical, which is a view shared by many fans.

What do you think a musical is?

— Al B🔴NEYA (@Lorenzoflo22) August 20, 2024

There literally a fucking musical

— Wonderboy⚡️ (@VicDaGreat94) August 20, 2024

— Jack Salmon (@seamonkey10) August 21, 2024

As a music enthusiast, I’d say, “Todd, you’re spot on – that’s the essence of a musical. It’s exactly what legendary choreographer Bob Fosse described as the heart of musical theater.”

— One-One with human limbs (@scorpian7103) August 20, 2024

He is providing the literal definition of a “musical.”

— The Unhitching Hour 🌴🥥🌴🥥 (@UnhitchingHour) August 20, 2024

“which sounds exactly like a musical but it’s not, it’s a third secret thing actually”

— Tonight, dinner is you 🇵🇸 (@Dinnerisyou) August 20, 2024

..He recently explained that the film he’s working on shares some characteristics with a musical, yet insists it’s not classified as one. It’s amusing, though, how Phillips seems to think his work is more sophisticated than being labeled as such. Ha-ha, a bit of pretentiousness there, don’t you agree?

— Taze Raney (@taze_me_bro) August 20, 2024

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2024-08-22 14:14