Back in 2019, when “Joker” had its world premiere at Venice, everyone was caught off guard by the barrage of glowing reviews. People knew the film might be popular, but no one expected the film to be an awards season contender. Now, with the release of the “Joker” sequel—also making its debut at Venice—people’s expectations are sky high. And according to the Venice director, the film delivers.
Speaking to Deadline, Venice director Alberto Barbera talked about his reaction after seeing “Joker: Folie à Deux.” Yes, it’s in his best interest to promote the hell out of the film, considering it will be premiering at the event. However, the confidence he has is next level.
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“It’s a continuation of the story but the film is completely different from the first film. If you’re expecting the same in terms of violence or other things, you’ll be surprised,” said Barbera. “When I saw the film in L.A. at the beginning of February there were four or five of us in the screening room, including writer Scott Silver, and we were astonished, our mouths were open at the end of the screening. It is a darker film.”
He added, “It’s a dystopian musical, or a musical of sorts. I think it’s one of the most daring, brave and creative films in recent American cinema. And I think it really confirms Todd Phillips as one of the most creative directors working at the moment.”
Yesterday, we had a trailer drop for “Joker: Folie à Deux,” and it is definitely teasing the musical aspect of the movie. It’ll be interesting to see how much Warner Bros. leans into that as we get closer to the release date. But for now, we have to wait and see how critics will react to the movie when it makes its world premiere in August at the festival.
For the rest of us, we won’t see the film until it makes its debut on October 4.