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Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga got hefty paychecks for their starring roles as Joker and Harley Quinn in 'Joker 2'.
Joaquin Phoenix starrer Joker was a great character study of one of the most beloved supervillains/antiheroes of the DC lore. After the overwhelming love for the character’s portrayal by Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger, Phoenix took on the impossible task of reinventing the character. Alienating itself from the DC universe also added to its focused narrative.
The film became a monstrous hit becoming the first R-rated film to gross over $1 billion at the box office. A sequel to the film is set to come out this year with Phoenix returning. Surprising new information about its budget and the actor’s salary has now been revealed.
Joaquin Phoenix is set to return to his Oscar-winning role of Arthur Fleck/ Joker in the sequel of his hit 2019 film Joker this year. Joker 2 will also see Lady Gaga joining in as Harley Quinn. While plot details are kept under wraps, the film is reported to have musical elements and will follow the relationship of the two characters.
Now Variety has reported significant information about the film that will surprise fans. It states the production budget of Joker 2 is a whopping $200 million (the first film was budgeted at $60 million). Additionally, the outlet also reported that both actors received hefty paychecks for starring as the two main leads of the film.
Variety further stated that to reprise the role, Phoenix took $20 million for Joker 2, which is a significant bump compared to the first film where he earned only $4.5 million (via Variety). Despite being a newcomer to the franchise, Gaga took $12 million to star as Harley Quinn which is rare for actresses similar to her condition.
The musical element of the film is most likely the contributing factor to the film’s budget being exponentially higher than the first film. Director Todd Philips also seems to have increased the scale and scope of the film tremendously and it remains to be seen whether he manages to recreate the magic of the first film with Joker 2.
Lawrence Sher, who was the cinematographer for 2019’s Joker, is returning for the sequel as well. Audiences are expecting a deeper and more thought-provoking exploration of the beloved antihero played by Joaquin Phoenix. Sher teased the potential of the film and claimed that the sequel would be as surprising as the first film.
Sher further stated that the filmmakers behind the film have not gone soft on the material due to the success of the first film and instead made another risky narrative with the sequel. He is excited for audiences to experience it when it comes out this year. He said, (via CBR)
“Next year we’re releasing the new Joker movie, and we’re currently in the final stages of post-production. It’s a pretty risky movie and it’s going to be surprising for people. I’m so excited for everyone to see it.”
With Phoenix and Zazie Beetz returning from the first film, Lady Gaga, Steve Coogan, Brendan Gleeson, and Catherine Keener are joining the sequel. The film is set to be released in theatres on October 4, 2024. Fans can watch the first Joker on Max.
Rahul Thokchom is a content writer at Fandomwire who is passionate about covering the world of pop culture and entertainment. He has a Masters Degree in English that contributes to the richness and creativity in his works.
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