We're still a few months away from the theatrical release of the sequel to Todd Phillips' 2019 film The Joker, but we do know one thing about it: its budget is reportedly huge.
The budget for the upcoming film The Joker: Folie à Deux is $200 million, IGN reports.
That means the budget has practically tripled compared to the first film, which cost around $60 million.
According to sources, Joaquin Phoenix is getting $20 million for reprising his role as DC's titular hero, while Lady Gaga, who will be reprising the character of Harley Quinn, is getting $12 million for her role.
While that $200 million figure is big, The Joker was a huge success for Warner Bros. in 2019, so it's no surprise that the studio would want to invest heavily in the sequel. In addition to receiving numerous accolades and becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of the year, it was also the first R-rated film to exceed $1 billion at the box office.
It also follows a trend where blockbuster films, especially those about superheroes, are increasing their budgets. Another DC film, "The Flash," flopped last year on a budget of about $300 million. Meanwhile, Disney's "Miracles" also had disappointing box office results on a budget of about $274.8 million.
Although The Joker was intended as a standalone film, a sequel was announced in 2022, along with a new title and confirmation that Phillips would return as the film's director. The first look at Gaga's Harley Quinn appeared in February 2023.
The latest update came in the form of a couple of photos Phillips shared on his Instagram account on Valentine's Day last week, which feature Phoenix and Gaga. Most notably, the photos included an image of the couple dancing on what appears to be a rooftop stage production, in line with reports that the sequel will be a musical.
"The Joker: Folie à deux" will be released in theaters on October 4. / BGNES
