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Joker: Folie á Deux might want to consider renaming itself Joker: Échec Ênorme after a disastrous opening weekend that, quite incredibly, was worse than first reported. For a film that was once tracking for a $70 million debut in theaters, expectations were lowered and lowered following critical scorn from reviewers and word of mouth that can only be described as toxic at best. Monday’s final count didn’t even hit Sunday’s grim $40 million estimate—practically a disaster for a movie that cost a whopping $200 million, with the movie pulling in a dismal $37.8 million in its first weekend. For context, the original Joker snagged $39 million just on its first Friday back in 2019.
Admittedly, the film performed much better overseas, launching in line with expectations of $80 million from 76 foreign markets, but the movie will need to find its voice and sing in tune if it wants to get even close to the international revenue brought in by its predecessor. The original Joker was massively successful, earning $335 million domestically and $743 million internationally for a global tally of $1.078 billion. At the time, it was the biggest R-rated movie in history, though a pair of foul mouthed Marvel superheroes have since snatched that crown with a $1.32 billion haul.
The original movie also came with a $60 million budget. This time, perhaps due to reticence on behalf of director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix to return, plus the addition of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, that budget more than tripled, which means the movie will probably need to hit $500 million worldwide to break even. That seems like a stretch now.
Why Has ‘Joker: Folie á Deux’ Flopped So Hard?
Honestly, word of mouth. The movie has a rare D CinemaScore. The better score a movie has, the better word of mouth, generally. That score is atrocious, to put it mildly, and tells audiences that they will most likely not enjoy what they’re watching. While the previous film was a gritty drama in the mould of Taxi Driver and King of Comedy, this one is a fantastical musical meshed with a bland courtroom drama which undoes a lot from the previous film, including some highly questionable acts committed against, and by, Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck. Collider’s Martin Tsai was just one of a swathe of reviewers who were unimpressed.
Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on Joker: Folie á Deux.
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