Joker Sequel Stumbles Despite Top Box Office Spot, Critics and Audience Disappointed

“Joker: Folie à Deux,” the anticipated sequel to Todd Phillips’ 2019 origin tale of the infamous Batman villain, has claimed the top spot at the box office, but its fate appears far from favorable. Despite its predecessor’s monumental success, bringing in an underwhelming $40 million on its opening weekend, some analysts are left puzzled by the drastic decline in performance. Just three weeks prior, industry predictions set the film’s debut at around $70 million, marking a significant drop from the record-breaking $96.

2 million launch of “Joker” in October 2019. The film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival garnered mixed reviews but received an enthusiastic 12-minute standing ovation. However, this initial positive reception quickly faded as the film’s Rotten Tomatoes score plummeted from 63% at Venice to a dismal 33%.



Adding to the woes, audience reactions were notably disappointing. Opening night viewers delivered a crushing D CinemaScore, and PostTrak exit polls echoed this sentiment, awarding the film a mere half star out of five. This poor reception has led some industry experts to ponder how a highly anticipated sequel to an Oscar-winning, billion-dollar blockbuster could falter so significantly.

Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, described the situation as a “double whammy” that’s challenging to rebound from. He pointed out that while a $40 or $50 million opening might be strong for a less expensive film, “Joker: Folie à Deux” had a far heftier budget, reportedly nearing $200 million. Warner Bros.

released the film in 4,102 locations across North America, with IMAX screens contributing significantly to its domestic earnings. Internationally, the film garnered $81.1 million from 25,788 screens, bringing its global total to an estimated $121.

1 million. The upcoming openings in Japan and China could potentially bolster these figures. Meanwhile, other films competed for audience attention over the weekend.

Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot” secured second place with $18.7 million, bringing its domestic total close to $64 million and surpassing $100 million globally. Warner Bros.

’ “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” landed in third, followed by Paramount’s “Transformers One” in fourth, and Universal and Blumhouse’s “Speak No Evil” in fifth. Another new release, Lionsgate’s “White Bird,” struggled, earning just $1.5 million from over 1,000 locations, despite an A+ CinemaScore.

While the overall weekend box office showed an improvement compared to the previous year, “Joker: Folie à Deux’s” disappointing start is a setback for theater owners looking to close the revenue gap. Director Todd Phillips, alongside star Joaquin Phoenix, aimed to create something as audacious as their first film. The sequel introduced Lady Gaga as a Joker superfan and explored Arthur Fleck’s delusional world further, combining elements of prison drama, courtroom thriller, and musical.

Despite Gaga releasing a companion album, “Harlequin,” the film’s blend of old standards and new musical elements failed to resonate with audiences. Critics like the Associated Press’s Jake Coyle noted the film’s ambitious melding of genres, but felt it lacked the original’s combustibility. Some think pieces have suggested that the sequel may have deliberately alienated the original film’s fans, referring to it controversially as a “middle finger.

” Yet, die-hard fans often disregard critics, especially when it comes to beloved comic book characters. Some high-profile figures have defended the film. Francis Ford Coppola, reflecting on his own divisive film “Megalopolis,” praised Phillips in an Instagram post, though “Megalopolis” itself faced a steep 74% decline in its second weekend.

Deadline editor Anthony D’Alessandro speculated that the decision to make “Joker: Folie à Deux” a musical was a misstep, arguing that the original’s audience did not desire such a drastic change. Though the first “Joker” film also sparked intense debate, it went on to achieve remarkable acclaim and commercial success, securing 11 Oscar nominations and earning over $1 billion. The sequel, by contrast, seems to have missed the mark with a contemporary audience.

Estimated ticket sales for the top films from Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters are as follows, according to Comscore:.