Joker 2: Joaquin Phoenix becomes highest-paid actor with salary multiplied by four

In 2019, Todd Phillips’ Joker was a unanimous success, bringing in no less than $1.07 billion at the worldwide box office and 11 Oscar nominations – including two wins, one for Joaquin Phoenix, Best Actor, and the other for Hildur Guadadottir, the author. Movie music.

Considering this success, it is not surprising that studio Warner Bros. – who never hesitates to use big means, to hire famous actors or simply to finance his big budget films – has set his sights higher here. After all, the sequel is certainly eagerly awaited by the fans, but also after the phenomenal success of its first installment. And for this, the studio did not hesitate to spend a lot of money to convince Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix To return for a second opus and convince Lady Gaga to be part of the adventure with them.

According to Variety , the budget for Joker: Folie à Deux has grown to around $200 million, a significant increase from the first film’s $60 million. Spectacular growth, which is mainly due to salary problems. The sources definitely confirm this Joaquin Phoenix reportedly received $20 million to reprise his role (compared to $4.5 million for the first), and Lady Gaga She was reportedly paid around $12 million for the role of Harley Quinn. As a director, co-writer and producer, Todd PhillipsHe would also receive 20 million dollars.

• Joker 2: Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, budget tripled… everything we know about the sequel

A musical?

However, after the success of the first part, there is one doubt: the “musical comedy” side of the sequel. In fact, since then Joker: Folie à Deux Presented as such, some skepticism was established. The success of musicals these days is hard to predict. Case in point: Warner lost $40 million on The Color Purple last year, according to Variety’s sources.

However, as the film’s cinematographer Lawrence Sher explained during an online masterclass, Joker: Folie à Deux Not really a musical: “There’s music, but it’s not a musical film strictly speaking, but… it just has music in it.“

He added: “The music is part of the movie and the characters, but I don’t know if it’s a musical or not. But there is music, as there was a lot in the first Joker. And there are things that we weren’t able to do in this movie that, by extension, are part of the DNA of the sequel.“

In an interview given to the Prime Minister in 2019, Joaquin Phoenix He assumed that nothing was impossible for the series JokerNot a musical.

“I think the character’s power of charm is limitless. It can thrive in many different environments. Sequels usually try to replicate what worked in the first movie, but with The Joker, you could really go anywhere.“

“To celebrate the end of filming, I took twenty classics from the history of cinema, photoshopped each of them with a photo of the Joker and gave them all to Todd. Rosemary’s Baby, The Godfather, Singing In Rain… It was to say: we can put the Joker in anything. In a musical, somewhere, there’s something to be done. You can take it anywhere“, he added.

on valentine’s day Todd Phillips announced the upcoming online release of the film’s first trailer to be released in April, with a release scheduled for next October. “Hope your day is full of love“, he wrote.

From one joker to another

But Joaquin Phoenix This isn’t the only Joker we’re talking about right now. On the DC side, there have been rumors of Barry Keoghan’s potential return in Batman 2, Matt Reeves’ sequel with Robert Pattinson, which is slated for an October 2025 release.

• Before Saltburn, Barry Keoghan played the Joker…and it only cost him $10!

Following the character’s appearance at Arkham Asylum at the end of Batman (2022), then revealing a deleted scene of an exchange between Batman and this rookie Joker, Matt Reeves He explained that this did not mean that he would return later. However, in a profile of the actress published last week, Vanity Fair seemed to reveal something we hadn’t yet in one of its questions to the popular Saltburn actor.

“After that, you have the Masters of the Air mini-series and you also play the Joker in Batman 2. What do you want your career to look like in the future?“

A question that the actor answered without mentioning Batman 2 – and without denying his participation. Will he be in the next episode? The question is on everyone’s lips.

Mark your calendars, Joker: Folie à Deux will hit our screens on October 2, 2024. Meanwhile, The Joker (2019) can be rediscovered streaming on Prime Video.