
Lady Gaga has shared her thoughts about the overall lacklustre reception afforded to Joker: Folie à Deux, the 2024 sequel to the 2024 hit Joker that introduced a musical twist to the psychological thriller franchise.
Despite high anticipation, the film received mixed to poor reviews and underperformed at the box office, grossing $US207.5 million worldwide against a reported $US200 million budget (not counting marketing and distribution). To compare, the first film earned a massive $US1.07 billion worldwide from a reported $US55 billion budget.
“People just sometimes don’t like some things,” Gaga said in an interview with Elle. “It’s that simple. And I think to be an artist, you have to be willing for people to sometimes not like it. And you keep going even if something didn’t connect in the way that you intended.”
Directed by Todd Phillips, back at the helm following the first, the sequel follows Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck as he forms a relationship with Gaga’s Harley “Lee” Quinzel while awaiting trial at Arkham State Hospital. The film’s stylistic choices, including its transition into a jukebox musical, left critics and audiences, generally speaking, underwhelmed. On Rotten Tomatoes, for example, the film has a score of 31% from both critics and audiences. Adding to the disappointment, Joker: Folie à Deux was recently nominated for several Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies), including Worst Picture and Worst Actress.
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Gaga also acknowledged the weight of fearing failure, explaining, “When that makes its way into your life, that can be hard to get control of. It’s part of the mayhem.”