Joker 2 Opening Weekend Box Office Isn’t All Smiles

Joker 2 Opening Weekend Box Office Isn't All Smiles

As a long-time comic book enthusiast and moviegoer who grew up with the Joker as a staple of Batman lore, I must say, it’s disheartening to see the lackluster performance of “Joker: Folie à Deux” at the box office. The first film was a masterpiece that truly encapsulated the madness and chaos that the Joker represents – Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of Arthur Fleck was nothing short of brilliant.


The earnings for “Joker: Folie Doux” have taken a dip following a relatively uneventful week in cinemas. Initial estimates suggest the Todd Phillips sequel will bring in around $47 million during its first weekend. While this figure would typically be satisfactory for other musicals, the financial investment made by Warner Bros. Discovery on “Joker: Folie Doux” has been immense. Rumors online hint that the film’s budget was close to $200 million and the early reviews before its release were not particularly favorable. Despite this, there was some expectation that the 2019 magic could still be found for Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga’s reprisal of their roles. At this stage, it appears unlikely, which is regrettable news for comic book film enthusiasts.

As a devoted admirer, I must admit that I had high expectations for Joker: Folie ? Deux, given the immense success and critical acclaim of its predecessor. Yet, the film seems to be struggling at the box office this weekend, which is quite unexpected considering the accolades showered upon the first movie – Joaquin Phoenix and Todd Phillips even won Oscars for their work in Joker! The Rotten Tomatoes scores, both for critics (37%) and audiences (33%), are remarkably close. It’s an odd situation, especially considering the global conversations triggered by the original film about mental health issues related to the Joker’s narrative. Alas, it seems that Joker: Folie ? Deux is fading away with a soft sigh rather than the thunderous applause I had anticipated.

Joker 2 Opening Weekend Box Office Isn't All Smiles

One topic gaining traction online is whether the “musical” aspect of the film negatively impacted its performance, given that the Mean Girls reboot and Timothee Chalamet’s Wonka were successful in theaters and on demand. With more musicals and biopics enjoying their time in the spotlight at the cinema, one might wonder if incorporating music and dance would significantly harm this new release. However, when asked about Joker: Folie ? Deux, Phillips made it clear that his film is not a musical. Instead, it seems to be exploring other storytelling avenues.

The filmmaker politely disagreed, expressing that he didn’t want viewers to compare his work to “In The Heights,” where a character in the store begins singing, leading to a performance on the street with police dancing. He emphasized that he admired “In The Heights” but wanted to avoid such similarities in his own production.

Joker 2 Signals The End Of The Road For This Universe

Joker 2 Opening Weekend Box Office Isn't All Smiles

Despite an uncertain beginning for “Joker: Folie à Deux,” some fans are still speculating if perhaps another Joker movie could emerge from this one. Director Todd Phillips has been quite open about his plans. The latest film is essentially a farewell for the character Arthur Fleck and this particular corner of the Batman universe. There was a great deal of excitement when Lady Gaga’s casting was revealed several years ago. Now, following such a confusing lead-up to “Joker: Folie à Deux,” it might be wiser to consider a different strategy. In an interview with Variety earlier this year, the director hinted that he intends to take a break from DC films for the time being.

In two movies, it was enjoyable to engage in this type of sandbox play, but I feel we’ve expressed all we intended to within this universe… I’d be thrilled to continue collaborating with Joaquin, though, as he has such a knack for comedy and humor. Currently, people seem to be craving comedies, and I believe that’s exactly what they need. The teaser for ‘Joker 2‘ captures this sentiment well when it says, “The world needs love now.” However, I’d take it a step further: Right now, the world could use a hearty laugh as well.

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2024-10-05 20:10