Summary
Joker 2’s box office failure continued during its second weekend, where it suffered a record-breaking drop. Now, industry insiders have estimated how much money Warner Bros. could lose on Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga’s DC movie.
Joker: Folie à Deuxopened to a disastrous start at the box office. Domestically,Joker 2opened with $37.8 million, while its overseas total amounted to $81.1 million, bringing its worldwide opening weekend gross to $121.1 million, a far cry from the first film’s $248.4 million global debut.Joker 2’s box office numbersreportedly need to hit $450 million to break even, but ticket sales projections indicate the DC movie won’t reach that goal.
Joker 2grossed a measly $7 millionat the box office in its second weekend, representing a historic 81% second-weekend drop, the worst decline ever for a comic book movie. At the time of this writing,Joker 2’s box office total sits at $51.5 million domestically and $165 million globally.Varietyreports that ticket sales projections suggestJoker 2will conclude its theatrical run with $65 million domestically and $210-$215 million globally. According to industry insiders and three executives from rival studios “with knowledge of similar productions,“Warner Bros. could lose $150 million to $200 million duringJoker 2’s theatrical run. Per one Variety source,Joker 2 could “end up losing its backers just north of $200 million” but another believes the losses may be closer to $125 million.
Warner Bros. sources reportedly sayJoker 2will break even with $375 million, and a studio spokesperson recently commented on the speculation about the movie’s box office prospects. “Any estimates suggested by anonymous ‘insiders’ or ‘rival executives’ are grossly wrong and continues [sic] a trend where rumor is reported as fact,” the Warner Bros. spokesperson said in a statement. “The film continues to play in theatrical release, included with this week’s opening in China, and will continue to earn revenue throughout its home viewing and ancillary run.”
Joker 2could mitigate its financial misfortunes when it hits digital home platforms on July 01, 2025 (less than a month after its theatrical debut). However, it will undoubtedly fall short of the firstJokermovie’s $1.078 billion worldwide gross. With a budget of $65 million,Joker’s billion-dollar total gross made it one of the most profitable comic book movies. Conversely,Joker 2cost $200 million to produce and approximately $100 million to market and distribute (via Variety), with much of that extra cost coming from the paydays fordirector and co-writer Todd Phillips, Phoenix, and Lady Gaga. Consequently,Joker 2has a higher bar to reach financial success.
Fans and pundits will likely debate whyJoker 2failed for some time. Whilequestionable behind-the-scenesJoker 2decisions–such as making the film a musical or Phillips' reported refusal to hold test screenings–may have contributed to its box office woes, the film continues a trend for DC movies.Aquamanwas also a billion-dollar blockbuster andShazam!grossed a modest but profitable box office total. However, the sequels to both films grossed far less than their predecessors, withShazam 2being a box office bomb. So, the argument that audiences are experiencing superhero/comic book movie fatigue is growing stronger, especially if a film as unconventional asJoker 2still fails to capture moviegoers' attention.
Joker: Folie à Deuxis now playing in theaters.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Joker: Folie à Deux is the sequel to Todd Phillips' critically acclaimed comic book thriller Joker. Reprising his Academy Award-winning performance as the failed comedian Arthur Fleck, Joaquin Phoenix revisits the iconic DC character alongside Lady Gaga, who makes her debut as Joker’s lover Harley Quinn in this standalone continuity of the DC Universe.
