We still have several months left until the sequel to Todd Philips' 2019 film Joker is out in theaters, but we do know one thing about it: it's reportedly pretty darn expensive.
Variety reports that the budget for the upcoming film Joker: Folie à Deux is $200 million. For context, that more than doubles the budget of the first film, which apparently cost around $60 million. Variety also reports, citing sources, that Joaquin Phoenix is getting $20 million to reprise his role as the titular DC character, while Lady Gaga, who will portray Harley Quinn, is getting paid $12 million for her role.
While that $200 million number is a big one, Joker was a massive success for Warner Bros. in 2019, so it's little surprise the studio would want to invest heavily in the sequel. Aside from receiving numerous accolades and becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of that year, it was also the first R-rated movie to surpass $1 billion at the box office.
It also follows a trend that sees blockbuster films, especially superhero movies, balloon in budget. Another DC movie, The Flash, flopped last year on a reported budget of around $300 million. Disney's The Marvels, meanwhile, also turned in disappointing box office results on a budget of about $274.8 million.
Although Joker was intended to be a standalone film, a sequel was announced in 2022, along with the new title and confirmation that Philips would once again return to direct the film. The first look at Gaga's Harley Quinn came in February 2023, even if she wasn't officially confirmed to play Harley until roughly a month after Phillips posted that image.
The most recent update came in the form of a few pictures Philips shared on his Instagram account on Valentine's Day last week featuring Phoenix and Gaga. Most notably, the photos included one image of the pair dancing on what appears to be a stage production of the rooftop, in line with reports that the sequel will be a musical.
Joker: Folie à Deux is set to release in theaters on October 4.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
