411 Box Office Report: Joker: Folie à Deux Trips Up With $40 Million, Still Claims #1

Joker: Folie à Deux won the box office this weekend, and yet it still managed to be a loser by falling far short of hopes. The Todd Phillips-directed sequel to Warner Bros. 2019 box office smash took the #1 spot with $40 million. While it was enough to win the weekend with ease, it was well below the $50 million to $60 million was expected coming into the weekend and less than half of the first film’s $96.2 million start.

The good news for Folie à Deux officially stops with “won the weekend,” because it’s all downhill behind that fact. For starters, this is officially the lowest start for a Batman-related film since Catwoman scored the all-time low in that metric with $16.7 million back in 2004. It’s also the latest box office failure for DC following the flops of Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. It got off to a worse start than last year’s big superhero flop in The Marvels, which launched to $46.1 million.

There are a myriad number of reasons for Folie à Deux’s grounding. To start with, following up on the lighting in a bottle that was the first Joker was always going to be tricky at best. That film was a box office smash that grossed over $1 billion worldwide despite shucking everything that would make it feel like a comic book movie. But it was also such an idiosyncratic film that a sequel seemed to be a risk (and as it turns out, it was). But when Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix returned with Lady Gaga joining as Harley Quinn, anticipation shot back through the roof.

Unfortunately, the promotional campaign wasn’t great. Marketing a comic book musical to the original Joker’s audience was a fool’s errand and Phillips and Gaga in particular stumbled trying to figure out how to walk that tightrope. Then the film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in early September and the reviews were far from stunning. That buzz only got worse as more reviews came in, and a 33% RT critics’ aggregate score was not the road to success for a sequel to a film that won Oscars.

But the bigger problem is the fan reaction. The RT audience score for Folie à Deux is an awful 31%; compare that to the original’s 89%. And the CinemaScore was abysmal at a D. Ouch. That’s what led the film to sink throughout the weekend as it started with a $20 million Friday and then tanked from there.

That’s all bad for the film going forward. It could always surprise; stranger things have happened, after all. But as it stands, it might struggle to make it to $100 million domestically. The film brought in disappointing numbers overseas too with $81.1 million in 76 markets, compared to the first film’s $139 million international start. With a $190 million budget, this is shaping up to be a bomb.

The Wild Robot had a solid hold in its second weekend after overperforming last frame, down 48% to $18.7 million. The Universal Pictures animated film brings its totals to $64 million domestically and $100.4 million worldwide thus far, very solid numbers against a $75 million budget. As it currently stands, the movie is looking to cross $100 million domestically without too much problem and its overseas expansion should bring it to profitable numbers for the studio.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice continues to hold on well, as the supernatural comedy eased 36% to $10.3 million in its fifth frame. That puts the Tim Burton-directed film at $265.5 million domestically and $402.6 million worldwide, huge numbers for a $100 million production. It shouldn’t have problems crossing the $285 million mark by the end of its stateside run.

Transformers One was down 42% in its third weekend, adding $5.4 million to its tally as its chances of theatrical profit have slipped away. The animated film is now up to $47.2 million domestically and $97 million worldwide against a $70 million budget, and while it still has some overseas markets left to go, it’s probably ending its theatrical around $55 million domestically. It will need digital viewing revenue to find its way into the black.

Speak No Evil was down 34% in its fourth weekend as it scared up another $2.8 million. The thriller remake has $32.6 million domestically and $67.4 million worldwide against a $15 million budget plus marketing and is looking at around $38 million to $40 million by the end of its US run.

The #6 spot for the weekend was taken by Sam and Colby: The Legends of the Paranormal. The documentary from YouTubers Sam Golbach and Colby Brock did very well for itself with $2.1 million despite no real marketing campaign. The film screened at 302 Cinemark locations and did good numbers for what it was going for. No word on its budget (but it’s probably quite low) and it probably won’t stick around too long in the top 10, but it’s already a success.

Coming in at #7 was White Bird: A Wonder Story. The prequel and sequel to 2017’s sleeper hit Wonder flew in far under the radar as it started off with $1.5 million. That’s low even for expectations coming into the weekend which had it in the low single digits.

Much like Joker: Folie à Deux, White Bird carried the stigma of being a follow-up film that no one asked for to an unexpected hit. This one is at least liked by critics and fans, who gave it a 73% RT critic aggregate, a 98% RT audience rating and an A+ CinemaScore. And it didn’t cost massive amounts of money, though the $20 million budget is certainly not something it will make back in theaters. The film added $3.1 million overseas for $4.6 million and should be profitable nice it hits home viewing, with a likely domestic final around $5 million.

Deadpool & Wolverine was down 45% in its eleventh weekend with $1.5 million. The MCU sequel has now grossed $633.8 million domestically and $1.329 billion worldwide, closing in on Barbie’s $636.2 million for the 12th highest domestic grossing film of all time. The budget was $200 million.

The Substance continued to do well, as the MUBI-released body horror film was down 35% to $1.3 million. The Demi Moore-starrer now has $9.7 million stateside and $16.6 million worldwide for a film that cost the studio $12.5 million to acquire. It’ll make its profit once it hits MUBI’s streaming service but should close out in the mid-teens.

Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis followed up its disastrous start last weekend by tanking this frame, as it slipped 74% to $1.1 million. Yikes. That puts the ensemble sci-fi drama at $6.5 million domestically and $7.4 million worldwide against a $120 million budget. But it is important to note thar this is Coppola’s money and he says he’s okay with losing it on the film. Lionsgate is fine here, as they are getting a $3 million to $5 million distribution fee without having kicked in for the budget or marketing. Megalopolis won’t even make it to $10 million in the US at this point.

Joker: Folie a Deux should reign again in its second weekend as the competition is all aiming for low double digits at best. The SNL dramedy Saturday Night is expanding and looking for around $10 million to $12 million, while Terrifier 3 and My Hero Academia the Movie: You’re Next should both around $8 million to $9 million. The Donald Trump-centered drama The Apprentice is targeting the low single digits.

BOX OFFICE TOP TEN (Three-Day Domestic Numbers)
1. Joker: Folie à Deux – $40 million ($40 million total, $121.1 million WW)
2. The Wild Robot – $18.7 million ($64 million total, $100.4 million WW)
3. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – $10.3 million ($265.5 million total, $402.6 million WW)
4. Transformers One – $5.4 million ($47.2 million total, $97 million WW)
5. Speak No Evil – $2.8 million ($32.6 million total, $67.4 million WW)
6. Sam and Colby: The Legends of the Paranormal – $2.1 million ($2.1 million total, $2.1 million WW)
7. White Bird – $1.5 million ($1.5 million total, $4.6 million WW)
8. Deadpool & Wolverine – $1.5 million ($633.8 million total, $1.329 billion WW)
9. The Substance – $1.3 million ($9.7 million total, $16.6 million WW)
10. Megalopolis – $1.1 million ($6.5 million total, $7.4 million WW)