Joker: Folie à Deux’s box office opening is projected to be lower than previously expected. Joaquin Phoenix received a Best Actor Oscar for his performance as Arthur Fleck in 2019’sJoker, with the movie proving itself a box office sensation. At the time it finished its global run,Jokerwas the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time with $1.079 billion. 2024 seems to be a year of change for the franchise. First,Deadpool & Wolverinepassed it to take the R-rated box office crown, and now a newJoker: Folie à Deuxupdatepoints to DC not recovering its spot.
According toDeadline,Joker: Folie à Deuxis projected to open with $55M-$60M at the domestic box office, down from the previous three-week tracking $70M+ projection. The DC movie’s worldwide opening projection stands at $140 million. 2019’sJokeropened to a massive $96.2M domestically — the best October opening weekend ever — and $248.2 million worldwide. That movie exceeded its original projections, which could still be the case for Phoenix’s Joker sequel, especially if fans react well to the addition of Lady Gaga’s Harley Quin, who co-leadsJoker: Folie à Deux’s cast. However, afterJoker: Folie à Deux’s mixed reviews, that becomes even harder.
What Joker: Folie À Deux’s Box Office Projections Mean?
The DC Sequel Has A Hill To Climb
Joker: Folie à Deux’s projected opening is not looking great for the franchise. While the original movie managed to exceed projections, which could still be the case for the sequel, it was a very different situation. Despite adding Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, one of DC’s most popular characters, the fact thatJoker: Folie à Deuxis a musicalcould heavily impact its box office. The movie is the first time a superhero entry delves into the genre, and that uncharted territory makes it hard to predict if audiences will respond better than critics have.
Review aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoescurrently has a 58% Tomatometer score forJoker: Folie à Deuxafter critics got to watch the DC film. That classifies the movie as “Rotten,” different from the originalJoker, which boasts a 69% score with critics, making it “Fresh.“Joker: Folie à Deux’s mixed reviews, the choice to make it a musical, and the fact that 2019’sJokercould have served as a fitting end for Arthur Fleck’s story should all impact the sequel’s box office. Based on the projections, theJokersequel will likely end its global run quite below the original.
Our Take On The Joker: Folie À Deux Box Office Projections
Joker’s Level Of Success Is Not Needed
Based onJoker: Folie à Deux’s projected opening, I can’t see it becoming a $1 billion hit like the originalJoker. In the end, I think that is okay, as directorTodd Phillips has no plans to continue the Joker franchise beyond the film. Based on theJokersequel’s reported budget of $200 million, quite higher than the original’s $60 million, as long as the sequel makes over $400 million to recoup its budget and marketing costs, as well as earns a profit, thenJoker: Folie à Deuxshould not face problems, even if it falls short of 2019’sJoker.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Cast
Joker: Folie à Deux is the sequel to Todd Phillips' critically acclaimed comic book thriller Joker. Reprising his Academy Award-winning performance as the failed comedian Arthur Fleck, Joaquin Phoenix revisits the iconic DC character alongside Lady Gaga, who makes her debut as Joker’s lover Harley Quinn in this standalone continuity of the DC Universe.
