Joker: Folie à Deux’s Record-Breaking Box Office Decline Marks New Low for Comic Book Movies

Joker: Folie à Deux, the highly anticipated sequel starring Joaquin Phoenix as the Clown Prince of Crime and Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, has made box office history—just not in the way fans or the studio were hoping.

After opening to less-than-stellar reviews for a comic book movie, the film brought in a modest $40 million domestically during its first week, with a global total of $121.1 million. This put it far behind the estimated $450 million needed to break even. Things only got worse from there.

In a shocking turn of events, Joker: Folie à Deux saw an 81% drop at the domestic box office in its second week, pulling in just $7 million. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this marks the worst second-week drop in box office history for a comic book movie. The previous record-holder was The Marvels, which had a 78% decline.

Globally, the sequel earned an additional $22.7 million, bringing the total haul to $165.3 million, still far short of what’s needed to cover production costs. This massive drop has sparked concerns that the film might not reach its break-even point, making it one of the most significant box office disappointments in recent years.

Despite starring two Hollywood heavyweights and being a follow-up to the critically acclaimed Joker, the movie has struggled to maintain its momentum.

Will the film be able to bounce back in the coming weeks, or has Joker: Folie à Deux fallen victim to the dreaded sequel slump? Only time will tell.

Are you surprised by the box office performance of Joker: Folie à Deux? Do you think it can recover? Share your thoughts in the comments below!