Lady Gaga has apparently seen all *those* negative reviews for Joker: Folie à Deux, but won’t let the critics stop her from pursuing even bigger and starrier film projects.
In case you missed it, the Joker sequel has been the subject of some pretty harsh reviews, receiving just a 33% score on Rotten Tomatoes and spawning some roast-worthy zingers from multiple reviewers. Mashable described Folie as an “atrociously grim and boring movie,” while The New York Times said it was a “dour, unpleasant slog” and Digital Spy labelled it “empty, lifeless and ultimately unnecessary.” Ouch!
All that criticism might explain why the sequel was hit with the lowest CinemaScore of any comic book movie history (a D), and also why it endured such a lacklustre box office performance. Amid the fanfare, it’s now being reported that Gaga — who starred as Harley Quinn opposite Joaquin Phoenix’s namesake villain — isn’t too thrilled with all the naysayers.
A source close to the pop star turned actress said she is “disappointed Joker 2 was pretty much a bomb.” Speaking to The Daily Mail, the insider said Gaga “is surprised by the response to [the movie] and is shocked that people don’t love it,” especially considering the praise it received from critics before its audience premiere.
“She put so much heart into the movie,” the source claimed, “and has so much respect for the DC comics fan base.” Adding insult to injury, the insider said Gaga’s disappointment is all the more intense because she thought Folie “could get her an Oscar nomination,” following Phoenix’s Best Actor win for the first instalment.
For what it’s worth, Gaga came close to achieving the feat in 2019, when she was nominated for Best Actress for her star-making role in A Star Is Born. Her chances of competing in the same category for the next Academy Awards are far slimmer, so it’s understandable that she’s feeling a little let down by all the Folie hate.
Nevertheless, Gaga remains committed to achieving Oscar glory despite all that disappointment, with the source saying the singer is now hell-bent on landing a part in Quentin Tarantino’s ever-buzzy upcoming project. “She would now like to land a role in Quentin Tarantino’s next and final film,” the source claimed.
“Nobody knows what that is going to be, but she wants to audition.” The insider went on reveal that working with the acclaimed director would be a “bucket list moment for her,” and said Gaga is “going to lobby hard to get a meeting with him once a script is presented.”
Of course, landing the part will be a tricky task, since a Tarantino role is probably coveted by almost everyone in Hollywood, especially if the movie will be his last as he’s claimed in the past. While the source didn’t name which Tarantino project Gaga is eyeing, it’s safe to assume they’re referring to The Movie Critic, the director’s tenth and supposedly final film.
Not much is known about The Movie Critic beyond its title as the final Tarantino film, but it’s been dogged by reports of being shelved, re-written, or scrapped altogether. We do know that it is set to follow a movie critic (duh!) who is cynical and disillusioned by his work at a pornographic magazine in the 1970s. Consider me intrigued.
As for Gaga’s involvement, I guess we can now add her to the list of actresses we’d love to see in the leading role, from Margot Robbie to the perpetual Tarantino muse, Uma Thurman.