Joker: Folie a Deux has fallen short of smashing the box office records set by its predecessor during its opening weekend.
The film hit cinemas on Friday and, despite securing the top spot, it only raked in $40 million. This figure was notably lower than the initial estimates, which ranged from $50 million to $65 million.
This pales in comparison to 2019’s Joker, which debuted with a staggering $96.2 million, setting a new record for October. The film sees Joaquin Phoenix return to his iconic role as the Joker, while Lady Gaga takes on the character of Harleen Quinn.
Joining the star-studded lead pair is an impressive cast featuring Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie Beetz, Steve Coogan, Harry Lawtey and Bill Smitrovich. Todd Phillips, known for his work on the first Joker film, The Hangover series and Starsky and Hutch, once again takes the director’s seat.
The storyline centres around Arthur Fleck, who is now confined at Arkham for his crimes as the Joker. As he wrestles with his dual identity, Arthur encounters Harleen (played by Lady Gaga), discovering not just love but also his musical side, reports the Mirror.
Since the trailer was released, fans have been expressing their anticipation on YouTube. One excited fan commented: “This is how a trailer should be. Studios take note. They didn’t show the whole damn movie in a trailer and it was still great!”
One avid film fan remarked: “I think Joaquin Phoenix could make history in winning his second Oscar for playing the exact same role. That would be epic!” Another enthusiast added their voice: “This is how you cut a trailer. Had me hyped without knowing what happens. Absolutely stoked for this.”
Yet another eager buff noted: “The fact that they gave it a real title and not just ‘Joker 2’ and that they put so much thought into the trailers… I have faith that this could be a really good sequel.”
One more viewer shared their surprise: “As someone who wasn’t a fan when they announced this movie as a musical, this trailer really sells why this works. They are two crazy people who just bust out into songs to describe the situation. It fits their characters really well.”
Joker smashed box office records, earning over $1.079billion and becoming the first R-rated film to surpass the one billion dollar milestone.
The film also scored multiple accolades, including two Academy Awards at the 92nd Oscars; one for Best Actor awarded to Joaquin Phoenix and another for Best Original Score, among a total of 11 nominations.
Joker: Folie à Deux in cinemas now.