«Joker 2» debuted with a disappointing $40 million in the US in its first weekend — $56 million less than the first movie

The movie «Joker: Madness for Two», although it topped the box office, still showed a disappointing result.

According to Warner Bros. studio, the film grossed $40 million in the US over the first weekend, although some analysts estimate the box office even lower. At the same time, the studio’s forecast for the international box office was justified — $81.1 million. Overall, the global box office totaled $121.1 million, which is significantly less than the expected $140+ million.

For comparison, in 2019, the original «Joker» grossed a record-breaking $96.2 million in October in the domestic market alone. For Warner Bros., this was a real disaster for the sequel, given its blockbuster status and $200 million budget.

Analysts note that the sequel is expected to reach the level of the original. The numbers «Joker 2» are alarming, as the film needs to earn almost $450 million to break even. The first «Joker» with a $65 million budget collected grossed $1.07 billion worldwide, becoming the most profitable R-rated comic book movie ever.

Director Todd Phillips turned the dark drama into a fantasy musical, where Arthur Fleck, played by Joaquin Phoenix, meets his girlfriend Harleen Quinzel (Lady Gaga) while imprisoned at the Arkham Asylum. But the musical numbers in the blockbuster turned out to be too bold for a wide audience. The movie received only 33% of positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

Source: Deadline, Variety