musical Archives -

Tod Phillips’ sequel ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ starring Joaquin Phoenix to release in October 2024

Joaquin Phoenix reprises his role as Batman’s notorious foe in 2019 Joker’s sequel Joker: Folie à Deux, which will make its big-screen debut on 4 October 2024, five years after the original movie’s release.

The follow-up to the blockbuster Joker is most likely going to be a musical, and Lady Gaga is reportedly set to play Harley Quinn, a partner in crime to the clown prince of crime. Although Joker was intended to be a stand-alone movie, a sequel was inevitable after the R-rated blockbuster made more than one billion dollars worldwide and won Phoenix an Oscar. Phoenix will receive a $20 million paycheck for Folie à Deux, naturally, the actor is asking a hefty sum to reprise his villainous role of Arthur Fleck, given the success of part one.

Following reports that the studio had cancelled its $90 million budgeted Batgirl, despite the DC movie being nearly finished, Warner Bros. announced the release date of Joker 2. The cancellation of Batgirl, which won’t air on HBO Max or in theatres, shocked the industry because studios hardly ever shelve a nearly completed production.

Warner Bros. needs Joker: Folie à Deux to appeal to audiences even without Batgirl on the release schedule to save its floundering DC Comics division. Both DC League of Super-Pets and The Suicide Squad underperformed at the box office during the weekend of their simultaneous theatrical and HBO Max debuts in 2022 and 2021, respectively. Warner Bros. is still struggling with The Flash plans, a $200 million budgeted DC adaptation scheduled for 2023. A recent high point for DC has been the $770 million global box office success of Robert Pattinson’s The Batman.

Todd Phillips will return to helm the sequel after steering Joker to a total of 11 Academy Award nominations. Along with Scott Silver, he also is also co-writing the screenplay.

BlareMob uses animation in their VIP Mix for 2019 original single ‘Nightlong’

BlareMob, Keshav Bhardwaj (aka Klipr) and Himanshu Chhabra duo are back and they are putting out the official VIP Mix for their 2019 original single Nightlong. This new edit presents itself as a varied festival version of the original track, which perfectly fusions melody, energy, and euphoric harmonies.

It takes advantage of the great melodic synths from the last version, and vocal harmonies add a new feeling with a lot of movement in the track. The new elements in this version are sure to level up the energy of the listeners with the solid and well-balanced drop after a powerful build-up.

Speaking on the VIP Mix Nightlong, Streamin’ Music Group founder and CEO Bhardwaj said, “All this while during lockdown the brand has focused on creating its signature sound and style in the industry. While we were switching and developing vibes, we got inspired to redo couple of our old tracks and see how far we have come.”

With many animated musicals seen in the recent times, there sure seems to be a huge scope for the industry with animation. The treatment given to the music album or single largely depends on the overall concept and vibe of the song. However, Bhardwaj thinks that animation does add a special element that makes it easy to convey what the song is about.

“Animation is already a big thing when it comes to music. The combination of the human element and animation creates a unique experience for the viewers,” he added.

The team at Streamin’ Music Group (SMG) does value futuristic concepts and animation surely helps create infinite possibilities, mentioned Bhardwaj.

BlareMob is a New Delhi-based electronic and EDM DJ/producer group. It has garnered significant attention from both fans and critics in the past with the release of singles like, Diamond, Stabbed and Nightlong.

Netflix brings new animated movie Barbie Princess Adventure from Mattel

Mattel is bringing its new animated movie Barbie Princess Adventure to Netflix US starting 1 September, building on the ongoing popularity of its doll brand. Barbie and her friends travel to meet a princess who bears a striking resemblance to Barbie, and the two hatch a plan to swap places, in this musical.

The movie’s soundtrack will be rolled out by Mattel across streaming platforms on 28 August. Barbie Princess Adventure is directed by Conrad Helten (Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures, Barbie: Dolphin Magic), written by Ann Austen (Daytime Emmy and WGA Award-winning writer/EP of The Snowy Day) and executive produced by Bonnett and Christopher Keenan, co-exec produced by Austen.

Mattel has been building its partnership with Netflix, and previously launched original series Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures in 2018 on the SVOD. Beyond Barbie, the company sold streaming rights to season 23 and 24 of its TV series Thomas & Friends to Netflix in the US. Barbie is a hot property for Mattel. There were decreases across all Mattel’s segments, but unlike its other brands, Barbie saw a 7 per cent increase in gross sales to the tune of US$199.3 million.

Pixar releases new teaser trailer for ‘Soul’

Disney has dropped a new teaser trailer for Pixar’s Soul, touting original song, Parting Ways, written, produced, and performed by fusion specialist Cody ChesnuTT. Director Pete Docter, co-director and screenwriter Kemp Powers and producer Dana Murray, partnered with American anthropologist/educator Dr. Johnnetta Cole and jazz pianist Jon Batiste to offer an exclusive sneak peek at the film as a part of the Essence Festival of Culture during a virtual panel titled Finding Soul.

For Batiste, who musically provided a “cosmic optimism,” his “goal was to make it authentic, as though it were a real jazz band, while also being accessible to all ages,” he said. “I wanted to make some themes that tie into the ethereal nature of the other world while still being in the Earth realm and vice versa. Trent and Atticus and I would sometimes blend the two worlds musically.”

The musical fantasy introduces Pixar’s first black protagonist, Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), a middle-school band teacher who gets the chance of a lifetime to play at the best jazz club in town. But one small misstep takes him from the streets of New York City to The Great Before – a fantastical place where new souls get their personalities, quirks and interests before they go to Earth. Determined to return to his life, Joe teams up with a precocious soul, 22 (Tina Fey), who has never understood the appeal of the human experience. As Joe desperately tries to show 22 what’s great about living, he may just discover the answers to some of life’s most important questions.

Disney closes ‘Frozen’ on Broadway

Frozen will not reopen on Broadway, even once the globe has recovered from the pandemic, Disney Theatrical Productions has announced. The Disney show opened in March 2018 and was among the top five Broadway productions for both gross and attendance over both years it ran, pulling in over $2 million a week. However, it received lukewarm reviews and was shut out at the Tony Awards.

The appearance of the film Frozen 2 in late 2019 actually boosted the show’s fortunes, with sales spikes recorded in the months following the film’s release.

“This difficult decision was made…primarily because we believe that three Disney productions will be one too many titles to run successfully in Broadway’s new landscape,” said Disney Theatrical president Thomas Schumacher in a letter to staff.

Broadway performances were suspended on March 12 after Gov. Andrew Cuomo imposed a ban on gatherings of 500 or more people. There were 31 productions running at the time, including eight new shows in previews and another eight shows in rehearsals preparing for the spring season.

In addition to Frozen, the new play Hangmen and a revival of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf will also not be remounted. With Beetlejuice in limbo and Frozen gone, and more closures likely on the way, one wonders if the current age of megabrands on Broadway is closing, too.