Even thoughJoker: Folie à Deuxis one of the most anticipated films of the year, the polarizing reviews from the Venice Film Festival seem to have hurt its chance of having a bumper opening at the box office.
The firstJokerfrom Todd Phillips went on to become a gigantic hit at the box office in 2019. Although the first film also received mixed reviews, the word of mouth from the Venice premiere was largely positive and fans were eagerly waiting for the film to arrive. It didn’t disappoint, and the audiences loved the Joaquin Phoenix-starrer. Five years later, the second film in the franchise also had its world premiere at this year’s Venice Film Festival, but the reactions turned out to be mixed. As a result, a recent report suggests that the polarizing reactions might stop the film from earning a massive amount of money at the box office.
As per the former theatrical exhibitorEmpire City,Joker: Folie à Deuxhas cast doubts on the sequel having a $100 million+ opening in October and claimed that it might not reach the heights of its predecessor. Taking it to Twitter, the exhibitor also suggested that the film could have low opening numbers. The exhibitor wrote:
“Numbers don’t lie, and even this early red flags everywhere and @jokermovie is in big big trouble if first half day of pre-sales are any indication. $100m opening in serious jeopardy and might go a lot lower. Hopefully won’t head forThe Marvels/The Flashterritory.”
Meanwhile, in a corresponding tweet, the exhibitor shared more bad news for the movie and Warner Bros., noticing that the film might be heading to a total that was attainedby box office bombs such asThe FlashandThe Marvels. The exhibitor said:
“Unfortunately, things have not improved. If anything, they’ve gotten worse. It seems @theFlash 2.0 might be incoming here for @wbpictures and @jokermovie.”
These claims might turn out to be untrue in the end, but it is undoubtedly a worrying sign for the makers. WhenJokerwas released in 2019, the reviews were polarizing as well. However, the initial reactions were highly positive and encouraged fans to watch the film on the big screen. Meanwhile, the film winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival set up a solid foundation for the movie.When the movie finally arrived in theatres, it didn’t disappoint and became the first R-rated film to earn $1 billion globally. Fans and critics praised Phillips' direction and visual style, while also praising Phoenix’s epic performance. At the 92nd Academy Awards, the film defied all expectations and received a whopping 11 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director for Phillips, and Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male) for Phoenix. The film won two awards: Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Original Score (Hildur Guðnadóttir).
Meanwhile, the initial reactions toJoker: Folie à Deuxhave been really mixed, and fans feel that the makers were right to bring Arthur Fleck back to the big screen. It is also way different from the first one and is deemed a musical. That aspect of the story might not appeal to people who are fans of this dark and diabolical character. Even though things are not looking bright for the sequel, it should be noted that the first film was touted to be a failure as well and went to exceed all expectations. The bookings have already begun and there are weeks before the film officially launches in theaters. It would be interesting to see if fans flock to the theaters like they did for the first one, or if they wait for the film to hit streaming platforms.
Joker: Folie à Deuxis scheduled to hit theatres on October 4 in the US, and October 2 internationally.
