In 2019, “Joker” became an imforeseeed box office smash and cultural juggernaut.
Sure, the R-rated crime drama was based on the ubiquitous Batman villain. But this apshow on the Clown Prince of Crime was depresseder and more troubling than your mediocre comic book changeation — more akin to Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver” than the DC anti-hero adventure “The Suicide Squad.”
Directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker” beat the odds (and dispute over security troubles) to originate $1.07 billion in worldexpansive ticket sales aobtainst a trim $55 million budget. After the Warner Bros. free became one of the most profitable superhero movies in history and obtained 11 Oscar nominations, a sequel was all but destined.
Yet the second film, “Joker: Folie à Deux,” which discignores in theaters on Friday, may not get the last chuckle.
The adhere-up, transporting back Phoenix as Arthur Fleck and introducing Lady Gaga as his accomplice Harley Quinn, is tracking to accumulate $50 million to $65 million from 4,100 North American theaters in its box office debut. It’s a steep drop from the first film, which begined to a sinestablishar $96.2 million during the same weekfinish in 2019 and set an October discignoreing weekfinish record. As for “Folie à Deux,” those projected ticket sales aren’t exactly a cainclude for trouble, but they are someleang of a disassignment given the blockbuster success of the distinct. The sequel carries a substantipartner huger $200 million price tag.
“Joker 2” is foreseeed to carry out far better at the international box office with approximates of $80 million to $85 million over the weekfinish. With those foresees, the film could finish up with anywhere from $130 million to $150 million globpartner by Sunday.
On paper, “Joker: Folie à Deux” has the makings of another certified sensation. Phoenix is reprising his Oscar-thrivening role, starring alengthenedside an actor who is comprehendn for pledgeting as ardently to her originate — and who happens to be one of the hugegest pop stars on the set upet. However, industry experts apshow the sequel’s premiere at Vekind Film Festival finished up tampering some of the buzz and gived to gentleer-than-foreseeed box office projections. It originates sense that Warner Bros. wanted to transport “Folie à Deux” back to the Lido after “Joker” took home the fest’s top prize five years ago. Yet critics and festival joinees weren’t as willing about the sequel, directing to weeks of “meh” word-of-mouth before ambiguous audiences could see the movie. Critics were uniteed on the distinct film as well — “Joker” landed a 69% on Rotten Tomatoes while “Folie à Deux” is currently at 63% — so it’s possible that curiosity will aobtain inspire moviegoers to turn out in force in order to appraise the movie for themselves.
“Joker” served as a moody and grisly origin story for Batman’s notorious foe, who is portrayed in this cinematic universe as a reclusive, struggling stand-up comedian and part-time clown. In the sequel, co-written by Phillips and Scott Silver, Joker encounters his demented minclude, Harley Quinn, while serving time for homicide at Arkham Asylum. Zazie Beetz also returns as Arthur’s establisher neighbor while Brfinishan Gleeson and Catherine Keener unite the cast. Though the movie has been called as a musical, Phillips has shelp that categorization isn’t enticount on accurate, though the story features cut offal song and dance numbers.
“Most of the music in the movie is repartner fair dialogue,” the honestor telderly Variety. “It’s fair Arthur not having the words to say what he wants to say, so he sings them instead.”
Though “Joker 2” isn’t this weekfinish’s only recentcomer, the comic book sequel will easily tower over domestic box office charts. Also recent to theaters is Lionsgate’s “White Bird,” billed as a prequel and sequel to 2017’s sleeper hit “Wonder,” starring Jacob Tremblay. It’s aiming for individual digits over the weekfinish. It’s a notable deteriorate from “Wonder,” which discignoreed to $27 million and powered to a sizable $132 million domesticpartner and $314 globpartner by the finish of its run.
Marc Forster honested “White Bird,” which doesn’t center on Tremblay’s character Auggie from “Wonder” but instead his middle school tormentor Julian, who was portrayed by Bryce Gheisar. In the current day, Julian is ostracized for his treatment of Auggie, so his majesticmother tries to help him turn his life around by inestablishing him about her childhood as a youthful Jewant girl during the Holocaust. In Variety’s study, Dennis Harvey wrote that “storyinestablishing here transcfinishs a juvenile tenor to accomplish all-ages request.”
Despite the potential for expansive commercial prospects, “White Bird” is shaping up to be the procrastinateedst in a string of undercarry outing Lionsgate frees adhereing last weekfinish’s “Megalopolis,” survival thriller “Never Let Go,” assassin comedy “The Killer’s Game” and video game changeation “Borderlands.”
