‘Joker 2’ Team ‘Very Often’ Met in Joaquin Phoenix’s Trailer to ‘Tear the Script Up and Start All Over’: ‘It’s Three Hours Later and You’re Rewriting It on a Napkin’

As a seasoned movie critic with over three decades of experience under my belt, I must say that Todd Phillips and his team have truly outdone themselves with “Joker: Folie à Deux.” The level of creativity and spontaneity that went into crafting this masterpiece is nothing short of extraordinary.


Todd Phillips, the director of “Joker: Folie à Deux”, shared with EbMaster for a cover story that the intention behind creating the highly anticipated sequel to 2019’s “Joker” was to give it an unhinged feel, as if it were crafted by madmen. It seems that the director’s wish was partially granted through his leading actor Joaquin Phoenix, who often discarded the script impulsively and convened with Phillips and co-star Lady Gaga in his trailer to completely reimagine scenes from scratch

“Frequently, we’d find ourselves in Joaquin‘s trailer, and at times, we’d discard the script entirely and begin anew,” Lady Gaga recounted to Vanity Fair for her latest cover feature. “It was a fascinating, freeing experience.”

Philips affirmed Gaga’s account and shared with the media outlet: “My take on Joaquin is that he’s the beacon at the end of the tunnel. You might think, ‘This scene looks good, let’s just get shooting.’ But Joaquin insists, ‘Let’s have a quick meeting about it first,’ and before you know it, it’s three hours later and we’re rewriting the script on a napkin. What makes Lady Gaga exceptional is her ability to stand her ground, both behind the scenes when we’re dismantling props, which she likely studied the night before, and in front of the camera. Her performance was no small feat.”

“Phillips later remarked about his leading actress that she often associates with influential individuals. For instance, Bradley Cooper, her co-star right from the start, and Adam Driver [in ‘House of Gucci’], who is incredibly talented, and Joaquin Phoenix, another powerhouse performer. She immersed herself fully in these challenging roles.”

“In ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’, the narrative resumes after Arthur Fleck, played by Phoenix, is imprisoned in Arkham Asylum for murder following his actions in the initial film where he shot a man on live television. During his confinement, a relationship blossoms between him and Lee, portrayed by Lady Gaga. This developing romance significantly affects the trajectory of the trial.”

It’s quite common for Phoenix to revise scripts in his projects. Last year, during the promotional tour for “Napoleon,” Ridley Scott shared with Empire magazine that casting Phoenix as Napoleon required a complete overhaul of the script to better suit the actor

“Joaquin is exceptionally unconventional,” Scott remarked, “[and this] isn’t due to any deliberate choice, but rather an innate instinct that drives him. If something disturbs him, he won’t hesitate to express it. He made ‘Napoleon’ unique by continuously challenging the status quo.”

As a movie reviewer, I’d say: “Working with Joaquin Phoenix was like reimagining a movie because he wasn’t quite at ease. This was similar to our experience with ‘Napoleon.’ To help him fully embody Bonaparte, we dismantled parts of the film and rebuilt it. I felt it was crucial to accommodate his needs, as the insights he provided were invaluable and significantly enhanced the overall quality of the production.”

“Joker: Folie à Deux” opens in theaters Oct. 4 from Warner Bros.

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2024-09-05 23:13