‘Joker: Folie a Deux’ (Joker 2) underperformed at the US and International Box Offices compares to its 2019 prequel Joker despite Joaquin Phoenix’s return to the titular role and Lady Gaga’s cast as Hayley Quinn, as Arthur Fleck’s doomed lover.
Joker 2 which had a $200 million production cost, debuted at $81.1 million (now $121.1 million) to top international box office, while earning a disappointing $40 million domestically; compared to the prequel which despite a lean budget $65 million.
The movie has also received negative reviews from critics, ranking it ‘D’, which some audience members agreed with.
Much of the added costs to ‘Joker 2’ are related to the fees for Warner Bros Todd Philips, as well as Joaquin Phoenix, and Lady Gaga, the latter who puts her own spin on Harley Quinn, one of the public’s favourite characters from the Joker Comics Series.
The film screened on 25,788 screens and in 76 overseas markets – grossing $8 million in the United Kingdom, $6.9 million in Germany, $5.6 million in Italy, $5.5 million in Mexico and $5 million in France. It is scheduled to open next week in Japan, before debuting in China on October 16.
