The famous writer-director, 78, revealed that he, like many others, walked out of the movie theater when he watched the DC sequel starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga.
“I saw about 10 or 15 minutes of it,” Schrader told Jeremy O. Harris for an Interview magazine story published Monday.
Famed director and “Taxi Driver” writer Paul Schrader watched only “10 or 15 minutes” of the “Joker” sequel. ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA Joaquin Phoenix in “Joker: Folie à Deux.” Warner Bros. Pictures
“I left, bought something, came back, saw another 10 minutes,” Schrader added. “That was enough.”
Ironically, Schrader wrote the script for Martin Scorsese’s 1976 “Taxi Driver,” which had a big influence on the first “Joker” film, directed by Todd Phillips.
2019’s “Joker” was a huge box office hit, grossing over $1 billion.
The film also won two Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Phoenix, 49.
The sequel, however, has been a complete flop since its Oct. 4 release. Schrader even called the movie “a really bad musical.”
“I don’t like either of those people,” the director said. “I don’t like them as actors. I don’t like them as characters. I don’t like the whole thing. I mean, those are people who, if they came to your house, you’d slip out the back door.”
“Folie à Deux” reportedly cost $200 million to produce and $100 million to market. It’s grossed $165 million globally over two weeks, making it poised to lose between $150 million and $200 million in its theatrical run, according to Variety .
“Any estimates suggested by anonymous ‘insiders’ or ‘rival executives’ are grossly wrong and continues a trend where rumor is reported as fact,” a Warner Bros. spokesperson said in a statement to Variety, speaking out against reports of the movie’s failure.
“The film continues to play in theatrical release, included with this week’s opening in China, and will continue to earn revenue throughout its home viewing and ancillary run,” the statement added.
Many audience members have been leaving “Folie à Deux” screenings early. A TikToker named Kate told The Post, “‘Joker 2′ let us down … We went in expecting an intense action movie and got a musical instead! It didn’t live up to the hype at all; don’t waste your money.”
Critics are similarly slamming the film in their scathing reviews.
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