Joker 2: David Zaslav Clashed With WB Execs Over Folie à Deux Cut

There was a noticeable disagreement among David Zaslav, Michael De Luca, and Pam Abdy during the previews for the upcoming film Joker 2, which is also called Joker: Folie à Deux.

In October of 2024, the American cinemas premiered Joker 2, titled “Folie à Deux.” This film was directed by Todd Phillips and served as a follow-up to the 2019 movie Joker. Joaquin Phoenix once again stepped into the role of Arthur Fleck/Joker, while Lady Gaga portrayed Harley “Lee” Quinzel.

The film Folie à Deux faced criticism from numerous fans and reviewers, earning several nominations and even winning Golden Raspberry Awards. Unfortunately, it was a financial flop, grossing only $207.5 million against a production cost of approximately $190-200 million.

What do we know about the Joker 2 test screenings?

Based on a recent report from The Hollywood Reporter, it appears that there was growing friction between David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, and the co-chairmen and co-CEOs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, during the previews for Joker 2.

According to the article, the studio chose not to hold formal screenings for the film, instead relying on feedback from friends and family. De Luca and Abdy were pleased with the version they saw, but Zaslav expressed dissatisfaction and voiced his concerns. De Luca has reportedly acknowledged to colleagues that in this instance, Zaslav was correct in his evaluation.

For the past couple of weeks, there have been whispers suggesting that Zaslav could be considering swapping out De Luca and Abdy. But after a recent chat with Zaslav, De Luca himself has clarified that these changes are not imminent, given the recent box office triumphs of A Minecraft Movie and Sinners.

According to De Luca, he told us it wasn’t true news and no significant changes were about to happen, and we chose to believe him.

Originally reported by Brandon Schreur at SuperHeroHype.

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2025-04-23 19:40