Summary
- Joker 2's box office debut fell below lowered projections, opening with $40 million domestically.
- The film received poor reviews, earning a 33% Rotten Tomatoes critics rating and a D CinemaScore.
- Despite Warner Bros' disappointment, Joker 2 still hopes to be an Oscar contender for Phoenix and Gaga’s performances.
The Joker 2 box office numbers for its opening weekend were worse than Warner Bros. Expected. Projections for Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga's Joker: Folie a Deux were lowered before its release, but the DC film failed to reach those figures.
When Joker 2 first came on tracking in mid-September, it was on course to open with $70 million. Roughly a week before its release, Joker 2 box office predictions had dropped to a $50-60 million opening weekend gross. However, the DC sequel failed to clear even the lowered expectations, and the response from audiences suggests it may not be able to improve its financial fortunes.
Joker 2 Vastly Underperformed at Weekend Opening
Must Earn Over 10x More to Break Even
Joker 2 opened with an estimated domestic total of $40 million. According to The Hollywood Reporter, even the $50-60 million projections were lowered as the weekend progressed, but "most rival studios" still estimated Joker 2 would finish its first weekend with $45 million to $47 million. While Joker 2's overseas debut of $81.1 million brought its worldwide total to $121.1 million, that figure still trails the first film's $248.4 million global premiere. Variety notes that sources familiar with Joker 2's finances estimate the film needs to earn $450 million to break even.
Joker 2 is also suffering from poor reviews. While the first Joker had its fair share of critics who weren't nearly as impressed as others, it still earned a 68% Rotten Tomatoes critics score compared to Joker 2's 33%. However, while audiences were more positive toward the first Joker film, giving it a Rotten Tomatoes score of 89%, they've been equally as harsh as critics of Joker 2 by giving the sequel a 31% score. Joker 2 also received a D on CinemaScore, the lowest rating ever for a comic book movie. This bad word-of-mouth likely contributed to Joker 2's poor box office debut. Per THR, Warner Bros. Is "stunned and sorely disappointed" by Joker 2's box office results. Still, the studio reportedly believes Joker 2 director Todd Phillips is "a creative genius and worthy of gambling on." THR also notes that Joker 2 is still hoping to be an Oscar contender, "particularly for Phoenix and Gaga’s performances."
Fans will likely continue discussing why Joker 2 is failing at the box office despite its predecessor's record-breaking success. After all, poor reviews haven't stopped a film from becoming a box office blockbuster before. Perhaps Joker 2's controversial ending, which leaked ahead of its release, soured already skeptical moviegoers. Maybe the first Joker film was lightning in a bottle that was always going to be impossible to recapture. Some might argue Joker worked well as a standalone film and a sequel was unnecessary, even with the intriguing addition of Lady Gaga as a fan-favorite character Harley Quinn. It may not help that some reviews interpret Joker 2 as being critical of those who liked the first movie, or at least found themselves relating to Arthur Fleck, possibly driving away fans of the original.
Regardless of the reason, Joker 2 has continued Warner Bros.' Unfortunate string of DC flops, potentially adding more pressure to James Gunn's upcoming DC Universe reboot to deliver box office gold when Superman debuts in theaters next summer.
Joker: Folie à Deux is now playing in theaters.
- Release Date
- October 4, 2024
- Runtime
- 138 minutes
- Director
- Todd Phillips
- Writers
- Scott Silver, Todd Phillips, Paul Dini, Jerry Robinson, Bruce Timm, Bob Kane, Bill Finger
- Producers
- Emma Tillinger Koskoff
Cast
-
Joaquin PhoenixArthur Fleck -
Lady GagaLee Quinzel -
Brendan GleesonJackie Sullivan -
Catherine KeenerMaryanne Stewart
WHERE TO WATCH
Directed by Todd Phillips, Joker acts as an origin story for Batman’s most iconic villain. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a down-on-his-luck clown who is trying to become a successful stand-up comedian. When things don’t go according to plan, and Arthur feels Gotham is oppressing him and others with mental illness, Arthur sparks a violent revolution within the city. Alongside Phoenix stars Zazie Beetz, Robert De Niro, and Frances Conroy.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Variety