Fans Wonder If Joaquín Phoenix Revealed His Dislike For ‘Joker 2’ To Lady Gaga After Viral Lip-Reading

He allegedly said, "It’s horrible!"

Damjan

• Published in Film & TV
• October 11, 2024

The entertainment world is often filled with dramatic moments on and off the screen, with public appearances sometimes causing as much buzz as the movies. Preeminent festivals, like the Venice Film Festival, are occasions where fans and critics get their first impressions of upcoming films.

They are also stages for the stars to interact with the public, making them ripe for viral moments. One such moment recently occurred at the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival, where an awkward interaction between Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix garnered significant attention.

A video clip of Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix at the premiere of Joker: Folie à Deux has gone viral, surpassing 5 million views on X (formerly Twitter). The clip, uploaded on October 7, 2024, claims to show a tense exchange between the two actors.

The video uses lip-reading to interpret what the two might have been saying, and the supposed conversation has sparked widespread discussions online. The clip claims that Phoenix, the lead actor in the film, was upset after the movie’s premiere on September 4.

According to the subtitles, he voiced his disappointment about the final product to Lady Gaga. In the video, he allegedly said, "It’s horrible!" when referring to the film, to which Gaga, trying to reassure him, replied that it was not.

Phoenix reportedly repeated his discontent, leaving Gaga confused and asking him what he meant. Although Joaquin’s lips are not visible in the footage, the interpretation of Lady Gaga’s visible lips seems to support the idea that there was indeed a disagreement between them.

According to the video, the disagreement continued, with Phoenix reportedly criticizing the movie's ending, stating that it "could’ve been different." Lady Gaga, however, stood her ground, claiming that she loved the ending.

Seemingly frustrated, Phoenix allegedly ended the conversation with a dismissive "Yikes" and turned away to greet others in the audience. This awkward interaction left viewers speculating about the actors’ relationship and Phoenix’s feelings toward the film’s final cut.

Fans have analyzed a moment from the Joker: Folie à Deux premiere, claiming Joaquin Phoenix told Lady Gaga he disliked the film.

The post accompanying the viral video speculated further, suggesting that Warner Brothers and director Todd Phillips may have blindsided Phoenix by delivering a final film cut that differed from what the actor had expected.

Based on this alleged conversation, this theory has only fueled the curiosity and sympathy among fans, many of whom felt terrible for both actors.

“It’s horrible!"

The reaction to the clip has been mixed. While some viewers believe that the lip-reading is accurate and that Phoenix was upset, others remain skeptical. They point out that it is difficult to confirm what was said without clear audio.

Moreover, Phoenix's reserved and often enigmatic personality makes it hard to read his body language definitively.

Folie A Deux’s premiere has been “lip-read” by fans.

This viral moment comes amidst the film’s less-than-stellar box office performance. Joker: Folie à Deux, released on October 4, 2024, opened with just $37.8 million domestically, a far cry from the estimated $50 million expected to bring in. This figure is significantly lower than the $96.2 million opening weekend of the original Joker in 2019.

Critical reception has been equally underwhelming, with the film receiving an aggregate score of 33% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 31% from audiences. This starkly contrasts with the first Joker film, which garnered a 68% score from critics and an impressive 89% from viewers.

Critics praised the sequel's originality but generally deemed it an unnecessary addition to the story. Audience members echoed this sentiment, feeling that the movie undid much of the praise earned by the original. Many suggested that it represented a regression in the character of Arthur Fleck.

The film failed to connect with audiences and critics alike, making significantly less at the box office than the first installment and receiving negative feedback from both reviewers and viewers.

Watch the video:

The film’s poor reception, combined with the now-viral awkward interaction between Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix, has sparked widespread speculation about what may have gone wrong during the making of Joker: Folie à Deux.

The buzz surrounding the video has only intensified discussions, with fans and critics alike questioning whether tensions between the actors or possible creative differences behind the scenes contributed to the movie’s disappointing performance.

As more viewers weigh in on the film’s shortcomings, many wonder if the off-screen drama directly influenced the final product’s lackluster reception.

Damjan