The views for the first 24 hours following the premiere of the first trailer for Joker: Folie à Deux are in and it looks as if Warner Bros. Discovery might have another Barbie-size hits on its hands.
With over 167 million views, the numbers for the first Folie à Deux trailer surpasses the numbers for the first Barbie trailer.
Given that it was somewhat recently revealed that the sequel received a sizable budget increase, going from $60M to $200M, the news of significant audience interest should help any nervous studio execs sleep at night.
However, Variety notes that the numbers for Folie à Deux are a far cry from the first trailer numbers for Deadpool and Wolverine, which premiered during Super Bowl Sunday. That film's trailer had a staggering 365 million views in the first 24 hours, becoming the biggest trailer launch of all time.
Filming on Joker: Folie à Deux wrapped up in April 2023, and rumors speculate that the musical nature of the film is due to the audience's viewpoint shifting away from Joaquin Phoenix's Joker, with the sequel being told from the perspective of Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn.
Apparently, this version of Harley views the world as one big musical.
While on stage at CinemaCon, Todd Phillips seemed to dismiss the notion that the film was a full-on musical, stating, "Music is an essential element. It doesn’t veer too far from the first film. We use music to make us whole, to balance the fractures in ourselves.”
However, it's hard to come to a definitive conclusion based on the first trailer.
Todd Phillips returns to direct and co-wrote the pic alongside original screenwriter, Scott Silver.
Joaquin Phoenix reprises his role as Gotham's Clown Prince of Crime, with Gaga set to debut Quinn. Zazie Beetz's Sophie Dumond also returns from the first film.
Rounding out the cast in undisclosed roles are Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland, Steve Coogan, Ken Leung, and Harry Lawtey.
Joker: Folie à Deux is set to hit North American theaters on October 4, 2024.
Are you excited about the sequel despite rumors that it will be a musical instead of a drama?
Will it match the stunning box office achievements of the first movie, which went on to make over $1 billion in revenue and earn the highest Oscar nominations for a comic book film at the 92nd Academy Awards?
Let us know in the comment section below.