Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga posing at the premier of the filmJoker: Folie à Deux, on Sept 25, 2024 in London. (Photo by Scott A. Garfitt/Invision/AP)
"Joker: Folie à Deux" has taken the top spot at the box office, but its performance has left many surprised. The sequel to the 2019 hit "Joker" opened with a modest $40 million, according to estimates released on Sunday—less than half of the first film's debut. This has left the industry wondering how a follow-up to an Oscar-winning, billion-dollar movie could fall so short of expectations.
Only weeks ago, projections suggested the movie could open with $70 million, which would still be below the original "Joker's" $96.2 million opening in 2019. Despite a 12-minute standing ovation at its premiere in Venice, the initial excitement didn’t last. By the time it hit theaters, the movie's Rotten Tomatoes score had dropped from 63% to a dismal 33%. Audience reactions were no better, with viewers giving the film a rare D CinemaScore, and PostTrak polls were equally unflattering.
Paul Dergarabedian, a senior analyst for Comscore, noted that the movie’s weak start combined with its high production costs—rumored to be around $190 million—makes recovery difficult. While a $40 million opening would be respectable for a less expensive film, "Joker: Folie à Deux" had significantly higher stakes.
The film, released in over 4,000 theaters across North America, did earn $81.1 million internationally, bringing its global total to $121.1 million. However, it still has yet to open in key markets like Japan and China, which could help its overall performance.
In second place, Universal’s "The Wild Robot" earned $18.7 million, bringing its domestic total to nearly $64 million and crossing the $100 million mark globally. Meanwhile, Warner Bros.' "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" took third with $10.3 million. Paramount’s "Transformers One" and Universal’s "Speak No Evil" rounded out the top five.
Lionsgate’s new release "White Bird" struggled, bringing in just $1.5 million despite earning an A+ CinemaScore from audiences.
Director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix had aimed to make a sequel that was as bold as the original. The movie adds Lady Gaga to the cast as a Joker superfan and introduces musical elements. But critics and audiences haven’t embraced it as hoped, with some even calling it a deliberate attempt to alienate fans of the first movie.
Despite mixed reviews, "Joker: Folie à Deux" has its defenders, including filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, who praised Todd Phillips for always being a step ahead of audiences.
Final weekend box office numbers will be released on Monday, but "Joker’s" lukewarm debut has left theater owners disappointed, as many were hoping it would help reduce the box office deficit.
