Joker: Folie à Deux , the highly anticipated sequel to 2019’s Joker , is off to a disastrous start, reportedly losing up to $70 million aft…

Joker: Folie à Deux, the highly anticipated sequel to 2019’s Joker, is off to a disastrous start, reportedly losing up to $70 million after a disappointing opening.

The film currently holds a dismal 33% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it earned a rare D grade from CinemaScore, a firm that surveys opening night audiences.

This is the worst CinemaScore ever recorded for a comic book movie, surpassing even infamous flops like Fantastic Four (2015) and Morbius.

For context, Fantastic Four had a C- CinemaScore, while Catwoman (2004) managed to scrape by with a B, making Joker 2‘s D all the more damning.
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Even at the international box office, the numbers aren’t promising.

Critics also point out that the narrative structure feels disjointed, with some labeling the film “incoherent” and “self-indulgent.

The film’s downfall has many speculating whether the massive budget—rumoured to be near $200 million—coupled with Todd Phillips‘ creative choices, sealed its fate.

With a Rotten Tomatoes score stuck at around 33%, both critics and audiences have rejected the bold, surreal tone, a stark contrast to the first Joker, which won over fans and made more than $1 billion.
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Unfortunately, Joker 2 now ranks among 2024’s most significant box office disasters.

This is a far cry from the first Joker, which was lauded for its disturbing yet thought-provoking portrayal of Arthur Fleck’s descent into madness.

Industry star slams BBC decision to cut out ‘shocking’ erect penis scene for UK viewers
“What are they going to do, put something else over the top of it?”

The series which is a co-production between BBC and HBO has gained a significant reputation due to the frequent sex scenes and the hard-partying characters.

Actress Marisa Abela who plays Yasmin has questioned the BBC over their decision to remove an X-rated scene for the UK viewers because it was too explicit.

During the first episode of the third season, US viewers who did not get the scene cut caught a glimpse of an erect penis.

Actor Adam Levy, who plays the role of a billionaire called Charles, was caught having a sexual encounter with a pregnant member of staff on his yacht in the fictional scenario.

This explicit scene was, however, not available to UK viewers, when asked by The Times of London, Abela questioned: “What are they going to do, put something else over the top of it?”
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“Are they going to blur it out?” she added.

“It is quite shocking, to be fair. But that’s not the point.”

She also argued that the scene was not gratuitous because it showed the dysfunctional dynamic between herself and her on-screen father Charles.

During the same interview, she had also spoken up about her own nude scenes in the television series.

“I don’t necessarily push back on the sex. I understand that it’s part of the show.”

“I think I’m just more careful now about what it is that’s being seen.”

“The nudity aspect is not something that I minded in season one or two, it was like, if it’s in my contract, I’ll do it,” she continued.
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“It was part of Yasmin and part of the fact that she was so comfortable with herself and she’s very free.”

“It didn’t have a lot of emotional weight for me,” she expressed.

“It’s not like anyone would have made me do something that I didn’t want to do, but I didn’t necessarily want to question the directors.”

“But I think now I’m more aware of the implications of doing it over and over again.”

“I’m more aware that I have the ability to say, ‘Do you mind staying on my back rather than coming round the front? You get the idea from my back that I’m not wearing anything.’”