Legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola has praised Todd Phillips’ latest release Joker: Folie à Deux amid lukewarm box-office response and mixed reviews.
“@ToddPhillips films always amaze me and I enjoy them thoroughly. Ever since the wonderful ‘The Hangover’ he’s always one step ahead of the audience never doing what they expect. Congratulations to Joker: Folie à Deux,” The Godfather director wrote alongside a poster featuring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga.
“I am also honored that the film's DP, Lawrence Sher, mentioned that the film is visually inspired by ‘One From the Heart’,” he added.
Joker: Folie à Deux has faced a mixed reception from audiences following its release on October 2. The film, which features a musical twist with Joaquin Phoenix reprising his role as Arthur Fleck alongside Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, opened with disappointing box office numbers, earning around USD 40 million in the US. This figure is in stark contrast with the original film’s USD 96.2 million debut.
Critically, the movie has struggled as well, with its rating on Rotten Tomatoes dropping to 33% from an initial 63% after a wave of negative reviews.
Joker: Folie à Deux also features Catherine Keener, Brendan Gleeson and Zazie Beetz as part of the supporting cast.
The 2019 Joker film amassed over USD 1 billion worldwide, making it the first R-rated film to achieve the feat and the sixth highest-grossing film of the year. It fetched an Oscar for Phoenix in the best actor category.
Francis Ford Coppola, known for his influential work in cinema, particularly during the 1970s, gained immense acclaim for directing iconic films such as The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now. His latest film, Megalopolis, however, has received a mixed reception following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Currently, the film holds a 49% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a D+ CinemaScore.
