Lady Gaga addresses negative reaction to ‘Joker 2’: “People just sometimes don’t like some things”
Lady Gaga has responded to the backlash faced by Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux for the first time, which starred Gaga alongside Joaquin Phoenix.
The first Joker movie, released in 2019, was a triumph at the box office, grossing over a billion dollars, and also led to an Academy Award nomination for Phoenix. However, the highly-anticipated sequel only earned a fraction of its predecessor at the box office and failed to receive any recognition in the recent Oscars nominations.
Meanwhile, at the Razzies, which ridicules the worst movies of the last 12 months on an annual basis, Joker: Folie à Deux has landed seven nominations ahead of the ceremony on March 1st, 2025.
During a new interview with Elle, Gaga has now addressed the criticism flung in the film’s direction, stating, “People just sometimes don’t like some things. It’s that simple. And I think to be an artist, you have to be willing for people to sometimes not like it. And you keep going even if something didn’t connect in the way that you intended.”
However, despite the negative reaction to the movie, Gaga is unwilling to allow her artistry to become affected by possible future setbacks, “When that makes its way into your life, that can be hard to get control of. It’s part of the mayhem.”
One admirer of Joker: Folie à Deux is Quentin Tarantino. During an appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, the director said he “really, really liked” the movie, explaining, “I went to see it expecting to be impressed by the filmmaking. But I thought it was going to be an arms-length, intellectual exercise that ultimately I wouldn’t think worked like a movie, but that I would appreciate it for what it is.”
Tarantino also said of director Phillips, “The Joker directed the movie. The entire concept, even him spending the studio’s money — he’s spending it like the Joker would spend it, all right?”
For now, Gaga has returned her focus to music rather than Hollywood. Earlier this week, she announced details of her new album, Mayhem, set for release on March 7th. The pop star’s new single, which has yet to be named, is set to premiere during a commercial break at the Grammy Awards on February 2nd. She is also nominated for two awards at the ceremony for her Bruno Mars collaboration, ‘Die With A Smile’.
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.