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'Joker: Folie à Deux' has become a notable setback for Warner Bros. Discovery, tumbling both critically and commercially. With finger-pointing now in full swing, Variety’s recent publication places the blame squarely on filmmaker Todd Phillips, steering clear of DC Studios' involvement. The premiere's notable absence of James Gunn and Peter Safran hints at a "dysfunctional dynamic," according to insiders. Phillips reportedly distanced himself from DC during production, opting to pursue his own vision without the constraints of comic book lore.

An insider relayed to Variety that the sequel's premise diverged significantly from its predecessor’s success. "If the first movie was about some down-on-his-luck, mentally ill guy in a downtrodden city, it makes maybe $150 [million] worldwide. Not a billion. People showed up because that guy was Joker," the source said. This perception seemingly disconnected Phillips from the critical components that lured audiences in the first place.

Official explanations for Gunn and Safran's absence at the premiere include prior commitments such as Gunn’s work on 'Peacemaker,' and Safran suffering from bronchitis. Despite their absence, Phillips maintained communication only with Warner Bros. executives Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, dismissing input from Gunn and Safran. Even during the director’s cut screening, their suggestions were bypassed. Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav had proposed filming in London to reduce expenses, but Phillips insisted on Los Angeles, escalating the budget to $200 million. Added to the $100 million marketing expenditure, the total investment hit a staggering $300 million.

A DC spokesperson denied any internal friction and clarified that the studio opted out of debuting the film at the Venice Film Festival. Nonetheless, Variety maintains that Phillips’ refusal to conduct test screenings and his disregard for the DC fanbase alienated the very audience that repeatedly watched the 2019 'Joker' in theaters. A source directly involved in the production reflected, "No one could get through to Todd. And the one thing about genre stuff: If you don't listen and pay attention to what the fan expectations are, you're going to fail."

With Joker: Folie à Deux needing to generate $450 million just to break even, its performance thus far has been grim. The box office numbers are unsettling; at $1.8 million on Monday, the film saw a 70% drop from Sunday. Cumulative earnings have reached $39.5 million, lagging 63% behind the first four days of the original 'Joker,' which crossed $100 million in the same period. The projected 10-day total of around $56 million paints a bleak picture of the movie’s financial trajectory.