MSNBC made a controversial decision to halt the premiere of Errol Morris’ immigration documentary Separated until after the 2024 presidential election. Now, a question remains: Who is to blame? And speaking of the blame game, what factors led to the disastrous release of Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux? Kim Masters and Matt Belloni investigate.
Playing politics? MSNBC has decided to delay acclaimed documentarian Errol Morris’ Separated until after the election. The documentary follows the Trump administration’s family separation policy, which continues to be relevant in politics. Despite anticipation from within the network to cover the film and its potential influence on voters — unspecified higher-ups made the decision to hold it for a month after election day. “It just feels like Hollywood is supposed to be so progressive, but where are the guts?” Masters asks. The Philadelphia-based company Comcast owns NBC Universal, and it’s not particularly focused on Hollywood. They’ve also made it clear that the news network is not the priority of the company. “It is not the crown jewel of the empire,” says Belloni. “And if they have an opportunity like this to avoid a political situation, they're probably going to take it.”
The follies of a Joker sequel? Though Director Todd Phillips’ 2019 film Joker was a big-swing success, its 2024 sequel Joker: Folie à Deux has earned a D rating on CinemaScore. Phillips returned to the movie with the intent of making experimental choices, but the end result did not sit well with the audience. With a total absence of test screenings and a loose leash from WB studio heads Pam Abdy and Mike DeLuca, perhaps this is a lesson learned. “There were no guardrails on this thing, you know, none at all,” says Masters.