Poor Box Office Performance
The long-awaited sequel to the incredibly popular 2019 movie Joker, Joker: Folie à Deux, hit some rough spots at the box office. While touted for its October 2024 release date, the film brought in a lackluster $40 million for its North American opening weekend—not nearly the kind of summertime take a prequel that was arguably earning around $96 million for its opening weekend. Such a disappointing opening run is somewhat unfortunate given the massive production budget for the film, as it soars in price at a mere $200 million, quadruple that of the original Joker film.
One reason for this underperformance is the film’s genre change. Many of its fans were shocked when they made Folie à Deux a musical, creating confusion and possibly alienating some of the core audience who wanted something closer to the original gritty, psychological thriller. Perhaps this genre change would have kept away the action-oriented superhero audience too, considering that the action pieces in the film were toned down from what fanatics of comic book movies are used to.
Critical Reception and Audience Scores
By all accounts, the movie has been received rather lukewarmly at best; these critical and audience reviews sort of demonstrate this mixed reaction. The movie had a somewhat muted reception at its premiere in the Venice Film Festival, thereby establishing the tone for what soon would become a tough opening at the box office. Audiences were equally unforgiving, with a “D” grade score from CinemaScore, a drastic decline from the “B+” the first film did. On Rotten Tomatoes, the audience score almost like-with-like falls in line with the critics’ lackluster reception.
This may be because of the changes in pacing and direction of the film. Being a musical drama, it is somewhat away from the dark, earthy storyline that the original creates. Many have been disappointed in the musical performances and how the movie was presented, given that it was not angst-driven or as dramatic as the first film series created a cultural explosion.
Reasons why the Film failed
All these could have contributed to low box office earnings:
- Genre Confusion: Many fans of Joker were taken aback by the musical twists and turns the sequel took. The first film appealed to fans of comic book cinema as well as those seeking more cerebral, dramatic cinema, whereas this film’s genre could be ‘a bit of both’, but not to everyone’s taste.
- High Expectations: The original Joker was already a landmark, not only at the box office but also in terms of the performance that earned Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar. Folie à Deux was harder to surpass those expectations. The sequel was also a character whose appearance was much trumpeted in advance of release by Lady Gaga, who plays Harley Quinn, which is perhaps less useful for selling those tickets.
- Dual Marketing: The marketing for the sequels seemed to be placed more on the movie’s musical numbers, leaving some potential viewers unclear as to whether or not the film took itself seriously and didn’t really understand what the movie was about. Considering how much the first and second films differ in marketing, perhaps the original film’s audience core wasn’t as strongly inclined to go back for this sequel.
- Timing and Competition: With a densely packed October calendar of films, Joker: Folie à Deux opens in an extremely crowded marketplace. Originally expected to be the month’s leader, other strong releases and likely week two holdovers siphon off some of its would-be audience.
International Box Office as the Silver Lining
While hardly impressive at the domestic box office, it has done somewhat better internationally. Internationally, Joker: Folie à Deux premiered in $81 million outside North America, taking the worldwide total to $121 million. Still, when the budget of making this film is taken into perspective, the box office takings are hardly enough. International box offices have been kinder than expected, but the movie is going to probably not bring in sufficient to repay its humongous budget, especially if marketing and distribution costs are any indicator.
Road Ahead for ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’
According to industry analysts, Folie à Deux cannot see much strength in its ticket sales. The shocking fall in audience interest and brutal reviews would mean that it may not witness the much-needed “legs” to sustain the system in box office gold. Everything will depend on how this film performs in the next two weeks or so, but in any case, initial signs aren’t quite promising. Even if the movie stabilizes its numbers, it is not going to be able to reach those financial and cultural heights of its predecessor.
Conclusion
The disappointing opening for Joker: Folie à Deux recalls a truth that’s long been known but sometimes forgotten: Even the most hotly anticipated sequels with star power and brand recognition can fall apart when they diverge too far from audience expectations. Not bad, really, for a film that sparked questions over the strategy of taking a gritty, acclaimed movie about gangs in 1970s New York and turning it into a musical drama. International box office and future digital releases may help soothe the pain, but Folie à Deux is shaping up to be one of the more surprising box office disappointments of 2024.
