‘Joker: Folie à Deux' has shocked the film industry with its catastrophic second weekend drop, recording an 81% decline. For a film that carried enormous expectations, especially given the success of the first Joker in 2019, this performance raises significant questions about what went wrong.
Earning just $7 million over the weekend, the movie now stands at $51 million domestically—a far cry from its reported $190 million budget. Comparisons to other recent underperforming films such as The Marvels and Morbius only make Joker 2's fall more jarring. Even the much-maligned Halloween Ends had a better hold. This drastic decline in box office figures points to an overarching issue: quality. While the original Joker was praised for its raw, gritty take on the character, its sequel seems to have missed the mark critically and with audiences.
Directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix, reprising his Oscar-winning role, alongside Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, Joker: Folie à Deux seemed like a surefire hit. But despite star power and intrigue, its current domestic gross of $51 million and global total of $165.3 million signals trouble for Warner Bros., which may struggle to break even. Comparisons to Beetlejuice 2, which in its sixth week performed on par with Joker 2's second weekend, adds further insult to injury.
With the film possibly headed for Video on Demand much sooner than expected, we can only wonder whether Joker 2 will find a second life there or fade into obscurity as one of 2024's biggest disappointments.
It's disheartening to see a movie with so much potential falter this hard. The first Joker redefined comic book films, but the sequel feels like it might have overreached, attempting to capture lightning in a bottle twice. As a fan of bold cinema, I hope lessons are learned from this.
Do you think Joker: Folie à Deux deserved a better reception, or did it fail to live up to its predecessor's legacy?
