Love it or hate it, but Joker was a box office smash. The movie didn’t give fans a comic book-accurate Joker and wasn’t a story anyone asked for. Nevertheless, it made $96.2 million on opening weekend and eventually grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. That was thanks to superb acting from the great Joaquin Phoenix. The announcement of Joker: Folie à Deux excited everyone who enjoyed the first project, especially when Harley Quinn was announced. Unfortunately, it isn’t producing anything close to what the first movie did.
Thursday, Joker: Folie à Deux brought in $7 million at the box office. DC and Warner may have wanted more, but that isn’t a measure of how a movie will do. People forget that some movies are released on Thursdays instead of Fridays. However, Friday’s totals weren’t great either. $20 million on a Friday isn’t anything to sneeze at, but it’s far from the $90 million the first project made. Deadline reports that the hope is for Joker 2 to make at least $50 million opening weekend, but it isn’t looking good.
A lot of factors go into the movie’s low numbers. First, people don’t venture to the movies like they used to. Streaming services like Amazon and Apple TV have early rental or purchase options. It’s expensive but cheaper than a ticket, the concession food, and getting to the movies. You can wait for it to appear for free on Max or Netflix too. Another incentive with that is inviting people to your house to have a watch party (which some streaming services will allow virtually). All it takes is a little patience.
Second, most people who saw Joker weren’t happy with the reports. Lady Gaga is an amazing actress but may not have been the desired performer. Then, it’s announced that the movie is a musical, and later it isn’t *really* a musical. That potentially leaves moviegoers annoyed. They don't know what to believe causing them to wait for the movie’s streaming release or not see it all.
Lastly, we have the reviews. As this article is written, Joker: Folie à Deux has a 33% rating for both critics (Tomatometer) and the audience (Popcornmeter) on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s a trusted site that many go to decide if a movie is worth watching. That said, as a person who writes reviews, they aren’t something that should be the end all be all.
People review bombing The Marvel bomb hurt the film’s success. When it dropped on Disney Plus, tons of people went to social media saying they wished they had seen it in theaters. A critic’s taste in projects doesn’t mean you should or shouldn’t see it. Can it sway a thought, sure, but everyone is biased even when they try not to be. That's why it's important to see why someone did or didn't like a project.
At the end of the day, Joker: Folie à Deux will hopefully make its $200 million budget back. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look good. Of course, things could change over the next few weeks if people start seeing good comments. That will draw people to theaters. Once that momentum gets going, Joker 2 could go from a wait to a must-see in theaters. If that happens (or doesn't), Caped Crusades will be here to report it.
Are you going to see Joker: Folie à Deux? Have you seen it and think it's good? We want to hear from you. You can email us at entertainment@fansided.com.