Joker: Folie a Deux Declined Test Screenings Despite Warner Bros" $200m Gamble, Reveals Report

Despite the costly budget of Joker: Folie a Deux, a new report claims Warner Bros. elected not to have any test screenings for its latest comic book film. The first Joker was a stunning success for Warner Bros. and DC. The villain origin movie grossed over $1 billion and was the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time before recently being passed by Deadpool & Wolverine. While the first movie was originally meant to be a one-off, a sequel was green-lit as the studio wanted to bank on the franchise"s success.
Part of what made the first Joker so profitable was its low budget of $55 million. Warner Bros. had more faith in Joker 2 and gave it a budget of $200 million. The studio is taking many risks with this film as it"s also a musical, a strange but bold choice for a follow-up to a global success. According to a report on Matt Belloni"s Puck newsletter, Warner Bros. may have put too much faith into its gamble as it declined test screenings, despite the film"s massive price tag.

Despite the risky musical element and dry courtroom sequences, I’m told Warners declined to test screen Folie à Deux to get audience feedback before Phillips locked the film. That’s quite a tightrope to walk on the studio’s most expensive movie of the year.

Test screenings aren"t always the most reliable tools for studios to predict a film"s success, but it"s also a gamble to avoid them. The first Joker was a hit, but there is no guarantee that the sequel will be as successful, especially if audiences don"t like it. Based on early results, Warner Bros" decision to decline test screenings could cost the studio millions.
What Joker: Folie à Deux's Declined Test Screenings Means For The Movie Poor word-of-mouth for Joker 2 could keep viewers away from theaters Close As stated previously, test screenings can lead to mixed results. For example, early test screenings for The Flash were incredibly positive, but the film"s reception when it came out was mixed and the film ultimately flopped. Since Warner Bros. declined test screenings for Joker 2, they are at the mercy of critics and audience word-of-mouth, which, so far, is leading to disastrous results.


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