Christopher Nolan reportedly intervened in the original ending of the 2019 film Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix. What would have been seen as a missed opportunity now feels like a relief.
The original ending had Phoenix’s character, Arthur Fleck, carving his face in front of a crowd of rioters. Nolan, who directed the Dark Knight trilogy starring Christian Bale, objected to the scene, believing that only his Joker, played by Heath Ledger, should have the iconic face-carving moment. He was right.
Nolan’s influence on the Joker ending is notable due to his past work with Warner Bros. and his strong vision for the character of the Joker. Since Todd Phillips decided his joker wouldn’t actually be the joker, it feels like we avoided a situation where DC hurt Heath Ledger’s iconic performance. While this scene would have been good for the first movie, the second movie just ruins it.
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The sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, sees the return of Phoenix as Arthur Fleck and introduces Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. The film deviates from the original ending, and Nolan wasn’t there to save the day. We won’t spoil it but there is a scene that homages to Nolan’s version.
The box office for this Joker movie is nowhere near enough to justify a sequel. This was obviously part of a trilogy, but based on the reception, we probably won’t be able to see what is planned for a third movie.
There are few movie series that bomb so hard in the second movie that a third isn’t feasible, but it looks like Phillips’ Joker trilogy may have hit that criteria. We’ll see how things go, but we’re happy to know that Ledger’s performance won’t be tarnished with an homage from a poor man’s joker. We’ll have to see what comes from all of this.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Published: Oct 9, 2024 10:46 am