Joker: Folie à DeuxDirector Says Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga Were 'Funny, Normal' on Set Despite Dark Material (Exclusive)

Todd Phillips, Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix.Photo:Elisabetta A. Villa/Getty Elisabetta A. Villa/Getty “I know that people always think actors are method actors,” the filmmaker, 53, tells PEOPLE. “I personally don’t even know what it means when people say that because I’ve never seen that on any movie.” The sequel to 2019’s Oscar-winning origin storyJoker(in theaters Oct. 4) follows Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck as he is on trial for murder. At Arkham State Hospital where he’s incarcerated, he “not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that’s always been inside him,” per an official synopsis.

Joker: Folie à DeuxEnding Explained: What Is the Sequel’s Connection to Batman?

Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in ‘Joker: Folie a Deux’.Photo:Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc Warning: Spoilers forJoker: Folie à Deuxfollow. All of those characters are missing fromFolie à Deux, in which Arthur is facing the death penalty for his crimes in the first film. At Arkham State Hospital where he’s incarcerated, he “not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that’s always been inside him,” per an official synopsis.

Joker: Folie à DeuxFirst Reviews Praise 'Real Spark' Between Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix inJoker: Folie à Deux(2024).Photo: Lady Gaga/Instagram The first reactions toJoker: Folie à Deuxare here! The anticipated musical follow-up toTodd Phillips' 2019 blockbusterJokerpremiered atVenice Film Festivalon Wednesday, Sept. 4, and now critics are weighing in on the film starringJoaquin Phoenixas Arthur Fleck/Joker andLady Gagaas Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn. “There’s a real spark when Joker and Harley meet-uncute in the joint,“The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw wrote. “But the whole movie finally turns out to be oppressively, claustrophobically and repetitively becalmed in that oddly unreal Gotham-universe jail with Phoenix and Gaga kept apart for long periods – and Phoenix’s own performance is as single-note as before, though certainly as forceful and his screen presence is potent.

Joker: Folie à DeuxMakes History as First Comic Book Movie to Earn a D CinemaScore as It Flops at Box Office

Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in “Joker: Folie a Deux”.Photo:Niko Tavernise Niko Tavernise Reactions toJoker: Folie à Deux’s opening weekend are no laughing matter.The sequel, a continuation of a grittier portrayal of the iconic Batman villain, received aD rating from CinemaScore, which polls moviegoers after seeing a movie to aggregate reactions.According toVariety, that’s the lowest-ever score for a comic-book movie, the most recent record-holder being 2015’sFantastic Four, which had a C-.

JokerSequel's 'Disappointing' Box Office Addressed by Warner Bros. CEO: We 'Must Deliver More Consistency'

Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix inJoker: Folie à Deux(2024).Photo:Niko Tavernise Niko Tavernise Released last month in theaters, the sequel to 2019’sJokermade$204.7 million globally, against a reported $200 million budget (though directorTodd Phillipshascalled the latter budget claim “absurd”). “Even in an industry of hits and misses, we must acknowledge that our studios business must deliver more consistency,” CEO David Zaslav said on an analyst call Thursday, Nov. 7, according toThe Hollywood Reporter.