The global opening weekend collections are in, and Joker: Folie à Deux hasn’t performed as well as expected. The musical thriller starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga hit the theatres on October 4, 2024, and was projected to earn $81.1 million across 76 markets. However, after the opening weekend, the actual figure stands at $77 million.
When it comes to the U.S. box office, the film earned $37.8 million, which was also less than earlier estimates. Combined with the film’s international earnings, the total global box office take for the opening weekend then stands at $114.8 million, which is lower than the $121.1 million that was initially reported. The sequel fell far short of the original Joker‘s (2019) impressive $96.2 million opening weekend, despite having an increased budget of $200 million. Domestically, the first film earned $39 million on Friday alone.
As reported by Variety, Joker: Folie à Deux, negative word-of-mouth and a “D” grade on CinemaScore contributed to the film’s underwhelming performance. But while Warner Bros. might have missed the mark with the Joker Sequel, Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has just gone past the $265 million mark domestically. With Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night releasing on October 11, 2024, Joker: Folie à Deux faces even tougher competition at the box office.
| Rank | Movie Title | Days in Theaters | Weekend Gross | Distributor | Domestic Box Office | International Box Office | Global Box Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joker: Folie à Deux | 4 | $37,678,467 | Warner Bros. | $37,678,467 | $77,000,000 | $114,678,467 |
| 2 | The Wild Robot | 11 | $18,896,065 | Universal Pictures | $64,180,125 | $36,550,000 | $100,730,125 |
| 3 | Beetlejuice Beetlejuice | 32 | $10,141,280 | Warner Bros. | $265,322,428 | $137,500,000 | $402,822,428 |
| 4 | Transformers One | 18 | $5,387,318 | Paramount Pictures | $47,258,804 | $49,800,000 | $97,058,804 |
| 5 | Speak No Evil | 25 | $2,765,880 | Universal Pictures | $32,552,345 | $34,792,000 | $67,344,345 |
| 6 | Sam and Colby: The Legends of the Paranormal | 5 | $1,755,000 | AMC Theatres | $1,755,000 | Not yet available | Not yet available |
| 7 | Deadpool & Wolverine | 75 | $1,577,447 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | $633,890,792 | $697,798,830 | $1,331,689,622 |
| 8 | White Bird | 4 | $1,557,893 | Lionsgate | $1,557,893 | $3,041,892 | $4,599,785 |
| 9 | The Substance | 18 | $1,359,031 | MUBI | $9,744,365 | $7,102,098 | $16,846,463 |
| 10 | Megalopolis | 11 | $1,070,315 | Lionsgate | $6,509,581 | $2,180,608 | $8,690,189 |
The Musical Genre Might Have Impacted the Sequel’s Reception
After it’s release in 2019, Joker went on to become one of the biggest R-rated movies at the time. With a budget of just $60 million, the film grossed over $1 billion internationally. The original film was a dark, gritty drama that followed Arthur Fleck and the downward spiral that leads to him becoming the Joker. The sequel, on the other hand, switches genres and is a jukebox musical which revolves around the Joker and his love interest, Harleen “Lee” Quinzel.
In an interview with Variety, film analyst Jeff Bock talked about the musical element being the reason behind the film’s low performance at the box office. In his exact words: “If you look at what made Joker a hit, it was going to dark places.” Bock believes that while director Todd Phillips wanted to do something different, it’s not what the audience was expecting from the sequel.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Joker: Folie à Deux was origianally slated to be a Broadway musical. However, Phillips and Phoenix ultimately committed to the movie and brought Lady Gaga on board. The sequel consists of a number of fantasy musical numbers starring the Joker and Lee, who meet while Arthur is in Arkam Asylum and waiting for his trial. During the Venice Film Festival in September 2024, Lady Gaga shared that the music in the film gave the characters a way to express their feelings when the dialogue wasn’t enough, as reported by Deadline.
You can catch Joker: Folie à Deux in theatres all across the U.S.
 |
Joker: Folie à Deux |
|---|---|
| Cast | Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Zazie Beetz, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener |
| Release Date | October 4, 2024 |
| Stream On | Theatrical release |
| Directed by | Todd Phillips |
| Produced by | Todd Phillips, Bradley Cooper, Emma Tillinger Koskoff |
| Based On | Characters from DC Comics |
| Plot Summary | A follow-up to Joker (2019), focusing on the psychological journey of Arthur Fleck and his descent into madness with Harley Quinn. |
| Musical Elements | Musical score by Hildur Guðnadóttir. Features musical performances by Lady Gaga. |
| Current Status | Released on October 4, 2024. Earned $77 million in its global opening weekend, slightly below its projected $81.1 million. |
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