UPDATE: Joker: Folie à Deux earned $37m in its North American debut, considerably lower than the $40m estimate provided by Warner Bros on Sunday.
Studio executives will be highly disappointed by the underwhelming number one debut given the reported $200m price tag and the box office heroics of its 2019 predecessor. It will reportedly need to gross at least $450m worldwide to break even.
Todd Phillips’ musical drama sequel earned muted reviews straight out of the gate at its world premiere in Venice one month ago and carries a D CinemaScore – the lowest for a superhero film. Even last year’s much-maligned The Marvels from Marvel Studios scored a “B” and opened on $46.1m.
Industry experts attributed the disappointing opening number to confusion over the film’s genre and a lack of marketing to fans of superhero films, audience frustration over a lack of action sequences, and the fact that Phillips was given director’s cut and the film was not tested. According to reports, the lukewarm reviews were also a turn-off to cinema-goers.
The R-rated sequel sees Joaquin Phoenix reprise his Oscar-winning role as the troubled Arthur Fleck aka Joker, opposite Lady Gaga. Joker: Folie à Deux had been tracking to open on at least $50m and arrived very far away from the $96.2m opening weekend of Joker, which reportedly cost $55m to make and exploded out of the gate back in October 2019 on its way to $335.5m in North America.
The second weekend will present a clearer picture of the tentpole’s fate in North America. Joker: Folie à Deux earned $77m in its international opening salvo, somewhat sparing executives’ blushes although still a long way off the original’s numbers. Matching Joker’s $1bn-plus final global gross is a huge ask.
Another hopeful take-away with wider positive implications is that Joker: Folie à Deux marks the end of the current DC era, while never truly a DC film, before the new slate of DC Studios tentpoles kicks off next year with James Gunn’s Superman reboot. A lot will be riding on what Gunn and his co-head Peter Safran can build in what is essentially a company-wide reset.
DreamWorks Animation’s acclaimed awards hopeful The Wild Robot finished in second place on a confirmed $18.9m through Universal Pictures after a decent 47% drop in the second weekend to reach $64.2m.
At least Warner Bros executive have Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to be thankful for. The comedy horror sequel ranks third on $10.2m after a 37% drop and has amassed a fine $265.3m after five sessions.
In fourth place, Paramount Animation and Hasbro Entertainment’s Transformers One – another film that has earned critical acclaim despite its muted box office – fell 42% in the third weekend and added $5.4m from 3,106 sites to raise the tally to $47.2m. Executives maintain that strong word of mouth will pave the way towards a gradual build.
Rounding out the top five was Universal/Blumhouse Productions’ psychological horror Speak No Evil starring James McAvoy with $2.8m from 2,279 locations for $32.6m after four sessions.
Arriving in sixth place was the horror Sam And Colby: The Legends Of Paranormal starring YouTubers Sam Colbach and Colby Brock on $1.8m. The pair’s channel draws approximately 13million subscribers and Cinemark booked the film as it and other exhibitors seek to serve audiences a broad platter of entertainment, not always from conventional distribution partnerships.
Meanwhile family drama The White Bird starring Helen Mirren and inspired by Lionsgate hit Wonder starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson, opened in seventh place on $1.5m from 1,018 sites. The film carries a reported $20m price tag so the hit will not be debilitating, however it compares poorly to Wonder’s 27.5m seven years ago and marks another box office disappointment for Lionsgate after Borderlands, The Crow, and Halle Berry thriller Never Let Go.
Speaking of the studio’s recent travails, Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis in tenth place edged past $6m in its second weekend following a $1.1m gross from 1,854 locations. Heading into awards season, the sci-fi drama is being positioned as a novel vision worthy of consideration.
Coralie Fargeat’s Cannes best screenplay winner The Substance ranks ninth and is knocking on the door of $10m in North America. Mubi reported the Demi Moore body horror earned $1.3m from 686 screens in its third weekend to reach $9.7m.
Sony Pictures Classics released Saoirse Ronan drama The Outrun on 508 screens and reported a $334,249 opening weekend gross. The story of a woman looking for closure after a troubled past is expected to figure in awards season.
Another awards hopeful, Columbia Pictures’ Telluride and Toronto premiere Saturday Night from Jason Reitman, expanded through Sony in its second weekend from five to 21 sites and executives reported $280,000 for a $638,000 running total. This is the second stage in the three-step release that will see the film go wide on October 11.
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