In a surprising turn of events, what was once anticipated to be one of October’s biggest blockbusters, “Joker: Folie à Deux”, instead became the month’s first major box office disaster—and potentially one of the year’s biggest bombs.
The highly anticipated sequel to 2019’s Joker, featuring Joaquin Phoenix reprising his Oscar-winning role as Arthur Fleck and Lady Gaga debuting as Harley Quinn, failed to ignite the same spark that propelled its predecessor to $1 billion worldwide. Despite a glamorous debut at the Venice Film Festival and the star power of its cast, Joker: Folie à Deux opened domestically with a mere $40 million, a far cry from the original Joker’s massive $96.2 million debut.
A Troubled Reception
Critical reception has not been kind to Todd Phillips’ darker, musical-infused sequel. Though early reviews kept the film at a lukewarm 60% on Rotten Tomatoes, things took a nosedive when American critics weighed in, dropping the score to just 33% by Friday. Audience reactions were even harsher, with the film receiving a rare D CinemaScore, signaling poor word of mouth. It’s an especially bleak score for a superhero sequel, putting Joker: Folie à Deux in dubious company alongside recent flops like The Exorcism starring Russell Crowe.
Warner Bros. is likely sweating given the film’s reported $200 million production budget, and while Joker: Folie à Deux did perform better internationally, grossing $81.1 million in 76 markets for a total global opening of $121.1 million, it’s still a significant step down from the success of the first film.
Bright Spots at the Box Office
In stark contrast, DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot continues to perform admirably in second place, grossing $18.7 million in its second weekend, bringing its domestic total to $64 million. The family-friendly hit added $13 million from international markets, putting its global haul at $100.4 million—a solid start for the well-reviewed film.
Meanwhile, Tim Burton’s quirky follow-up, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, remains a runaway hit, pulling in another $10.3 million for third place. Its domestic total now stands at $265.5 million, and with a global gross exceeding $400 million, it continues to cement its place as one of the year’s top blockbusters.
Underperformers and Surprises
The animated Transformers One struggled to make an impact, landing in fourth place with $5.4 million this weekend, pushing its domestic total to $47.2 million—a disappointment when compared to the 2023 live-action Transformers film.
On the horror front, “Speak No Evil”, starring James McAvoy, held steady in fifth place with $2.8 million this weekend, bringing its domestic total to $32.6 million. The modest success is commendable, given its $15 million budget.
One of the biggest box office bombs of the week, however, was Lionsgate’s “White Bird: A Wonder Story”, which opened in just over 1,000 theaters but tanked with a dismal $1.5 million. Despite decent reviews (76% on Rotten Tomatoes) and an A+ CinemaScore from audiences, the film failed to attract a broad audience. This is another blow for Lionsgate, which delayed the film by two years only to find minimal success upon release.
On the indie side, “The Substance”, an atmospheric horror film by French director Coralie Fargeat, managed to stay in the top 10 with $1.4 million, despite losing over 1,000 theaters. With a cumulative total of $9.7 million, it’s a small but solid victory for an indie horror film released by a streaming service.
Megalopolis Crashes and Burns
After an already dismal opening, Francis Ford Coppola’s long-awaited film Megalopolis fell hard in its second weekend, dropping 74% and earning just $1.1 million. With a domestic total of $6.5 million, the star-studded epic is shaping up to be one of the most notorious box office flops in recent memory.
Conclusion
While the Joker’s smile may have faded with the underwhelming reception of Joker: Folie à Deux, other films continue to shine at the box office. The Wild Robot and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice offer hope for studios banking on audience nostalgia and family-friendly fare, while horror and indie films show resilience. For now, Warner Bros. will have to hope Joker’s international numbers can carry the sequel to profitability, even as it becomes clear the domestic market has delivered its harsh verdict.
—
Photo Credit: Fred Duval / Shutterstock.com