To call Joker: Folie A second, the loss of the decade for DC would not be far from the truth. The movie finally managed to cross the $200 million mark in just a little more than 22 days. A feat which is completed by comic book movies in barely within a week.
While the movie was considered a commercial failure, it has finally managed to cover its own expenses. And while this is still a very disappointing success, the movie is not a commercial failure anymore. The first movie was a meager 55 million-dollar affair; it managed to amass over $1 billion on the box office. So what happened?
While the first movie had a beautiful commentary intertwined with the life of Arthur Fleck with the hints of the Batman mythos laced in the screenplay, the second movie turned into something completely unrecognizable. With the musical theme mixed with the courtroom drama, the movie strayed too far away from the formula. This made the fans feel alienated, and one of the biggest drops in the history of the genre was recorded.
The movie is set to release digitally after it was kicked from theaters on 29 October. Furthermore, this meager global collection still doesn’t cover the $100 million spent on its marketing. On the other hand, even Sony has done a better job with their latest product. Venom: The Last Dance has managed to cross 175 million globally in just a week, with a budget of just 120 million.
Even though the movie has managed to pull itself out of a loss in such a sluggish manner, it still remains a massive bomb critically. It is somewhat unbelievable that WB manages to blow up such a brand. As of now, the movie is WB’s main pitch for Oscars. It is to be seen if it manages to change the reception in front of the academy.