The highly anticipated sequel to the Oscar-winning 2019 film Joker stumbled at the box office in its second weekend of release. Joker: Folie à Deux, which brought back Joaquin Phoenix as the Clown Prince of Crime and added Lady Gaga in a supporting role, saw ticket sales plunge 81% from its first to second weekend.
After opening to $38 million domestically, below most estimates that projected $50-70 million, the box office receipts for Folie à Deux fell off sharply. In its second weekend the film made only $7 million from 4,102 theaters across North America. This 81% decline from the first to second weekend is one of the steepest drops ever recorded. It surpasses the previous record held by another comic book movie, The Marvels, which declined 78% in its second weekend last year.
In contrast, the original Joker was a box office phenomenon. It opened to nearly $100 million domestically and $250 million globally just in its first weekend. Joker went on to become the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever with over $1 billion worldwide. While Folie à Deux has earned $165 million worldwide so far, it still has a long way to go to break even after costing around $200 million to produce before marketing.
Warner Bros., which distributed both Joker movies, may be concerned with Folie à Deux’ financial performance given its substantially higher budget compared to the first film. Some reviews praised Gaga’s acting but criticized the sequel as “boring” or “startlingly dull.” With mixed word-of-mouth, it remains uncertain if the film can recover at the box office in coming weeks. The disappointing reception may also push studios to reconsider strategies for big-budget follow-ups and the sustainability of comic book films going forward.
