Sometimes, a movie performs way below expectations and surprises everyone. Box office predictions aren’t as accurate as they used to be, but we usually have a pretty good idea of how a film will do on its opening weekend.
Joker: Folie à Deux had a worse start than expected. But for those who listened to Todd Phillips, it’s not surprising. He recently told Joker fans, “Go do what you want.” It looks like many people took his advice, as the box office numbers aren’t looking great.
Director Todd Phillips’ sequel to Joker debuted with a disappointing $37.8 million over the weekend, even lower than the 2022 film Morbius. The only silver lining is that it managed to secure the top spot at the U.S. box office.
However, just a few weeks earlier, Warner Bros. had projected the film, inspired by the world of DC Comics, would earn at least $70 million—this estimate had already been revised down from even more optimistic forecasts.
The film faced difficulties right from a challenging Thursday night, and the situation continued to worsen throughout the weekend.
On the international side, the sequel brought in $81.1 million, resulting in a total global gross of $118.9 million. This figure is significantly less than the original film, which earned $152.2 million in its overseas opening.
This scenario is particularly hard to comprehend, especially considering that the first Joker opened to over $96 million and ultimately grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing R-rated film at that time. It’s clear that this sequel won’t come close to hitting the $1 billion mark.
So, what went wrong? How did Phillips miss the target so badly? How did Warner Bros. fail to achieve what should have been an easy win? We will explore the main reasons behind the box office struggles of Joker: Folie a Deux. Let’s delve into it.
4 Reasons Why Joker 2 Struggled at the Box Office: What Went Wrong for the Sequel?
Although the reviews from last month’s Venice Film Festival were mixed, Joker: Folie à Deux initially landed just five or six percentage points lower than 2019’s Joker on Rotten Tomatoes. However, everything changed once critics and fans got their chance to see the film last week.
It quickly became apparent that this wasn’t the fan-favorite sequel many were hoping for. The negative buzz from Monday’s IMAX screenings hinted at trouble ahead for the box office. Now, this follow-up to a $1 billion Oscar-winning film has turned into a critical and commercial disappointment.
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Too much time has passed since Joker
Joker came out five years ago. In most cases, waiting so long for a sequel to a major blockbuster is not beneficial. We’ve seen this happening more and more in recent years. In this instance, it almost certainly had a negative impact on the box office.
The influence of Joker as a pop culture phenomenon and its unexpected Oscar win has long since faded. Ideally, Warner Bros. should have released it in 2022, but that didn’t happen. When a blockbuster film takes so long to arrive, fans often lose their excitement. This is also a major reason why big movies can flop.
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A Terrible Ending
It’s never a smart idea to send viewers home feeling unsatisfied, yet Joker: Folie à Deux succeeds in doing just that. At the end of the movie, Arthur Fleck is taken back to Arkham, where a random prisoner stabs him to death with a knife and then slashes a smile across his face.
It’s implied that this prisoner might turn into The Joker, although the first movie showed how Arthur’s deeds affected the most disenfranchised and resentful residents of Gotham City. Sadly, it seems like the same message is being repeated here, done in a smug and overbearing manner.
There are rumors that an earlier version of the film included a scene where Harley Quinn kills Arthur. While that might have sparked its own debate, it would have made more sense for “Harley Quinn” to take down the Joker, transforming his chaotic message into something uniquely her own as she gleefully embraces the anarchy in Gotham.
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“Joker” Is Meaningless
Even before Joker hit theaters in 2019, it was evident that the film wasn’t exactly true to the comic book origins. Todd Phillips didn’t aim to faithfully adapt the source material; instead, he crafted a story that offered a grounded and intriguing take on the Clown Prince of Crime.
While some fans may continue to idolize villains, most viewers walked away from Joker with the clear understanding that Arthur Fleck was no hero. Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal brought a fresh and captivating version of the character to the DC universe, making him iconic in his own right.
However, reducing this “Joker” to just a crazy person or a “one-pump chump” undermines the character’s depth and significance. For a comic book movie like this, winning over dedicated fans is crucial. Instead, many of them completely rejected the sequel on social media and in public, leading to negative word-of-mouth that hampered its success.
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The movie has nothing new to offer
Love it or hate it, Joker: Folie à Deux is undeniably a hollow film that offers little in the way of fresh insights. The first movie provided a gripping look at a disturbed man’s descent into madness, but what do we get this time around?
Instead, we’re served a familiar tale of a superfan falling for a psychopath, a weak courtroom drama questioning whether “Arthur Fleck” and “Joker” are two distinct identities, and a reminder that the world is bleak and full of terrible people.
The narrative remains superficial. While some have attempted to frame the sequel as a complex exploration of how idolizing someone like the Joker can lead to disastrous consequences, if that was the filmmakers’ intention, they certainly didn’t execute it well enough.
Conclusion
Joker: Folie à Deux struggles to make a meaningful impact, leaving audiences with a sense of disappointment rather than thought-provoking commentary. While the original film was a deep dive into the psyche of its protagonist, this sequel feels like a retread of familiar themes without offering anything fresh or compelling.
Instead of exploring the darker aspects of fandom and the consequences of idolization, it settles for a surface-level narrative that fails to engage. Ultimately, it seems to miss the opportunity to build on the rich foundation laid by its predecessor, leaving fans longing for the depth and complexity that made the first film so memorable.
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