Joker: Folie à Deux Set for On-Demand Release After Box Office Struggles

Warner Bros. is making a bold move with Joker: Folie à Deux, as the film is already heading to on-demand platforms on October 29, just weeks after its disappointing theatrical release. Despite high hopes, the sequel to 2019’s Joker has performed poorly at the box office, setting a record for one of the worst second-weekend drops in movie history.

According to Variety, the film, which had a hefty production budget of around $200 million and an additional $100 million in marketing and distribution costs, is currently poised to lose between $150 million and $200 million in its theatrical run. While Warner Bros. sources claim the break-even point for the film is around $375 million, other reports suggest it would need to gross closer to $450 million to cover all expenses, factoring in the percentage that theaters take from ticket sales.

In response to reports of the film’s potential loss, a Warner Bros. spokesperson dismissed the estimates as inaccurate, noting that Joker: Folie à Deux is still playing in theaters, including new releases in international markets like China, and the film is expected to continue generating revenue through home viewing and ancillary platforms.

The early shift to on-demand is a strategy to recoup some of the losses, as Warner Bros. looks to capitalize on home rental markets to soften the financial blow of the underperforming sequel.

What do you think about Joker: Folie à Deux heading to on-demand so quickly? Was the film’s theatrical performance surprising? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!