Box Office Report: Joking

By Kayleigh Donaldson | Film | October 7, 2024 |

By Kayleigh Donaldson | Film | October 7, 2024 |

Nobody expected Joker to make $1 billion. Sure, it was never the grand risk that Warner Bros. and company pretended it was — it’s still a movie about the world’s most famous superhero villain, after all — but it was still a surprise to see an R-rated drama with none of the expected DC beats become both a commercial smash and an Oscar winner. So, it was definitely expected that WB would want a sequel. Joker: Folie à Deux, however, has not lived up to the mighty expectations placed upon its shoulders.

It still opened at the top spot this past weekend, helped by the lack of competition, but its $40 million gross from 4,102 theatres is well below studio predictions. Reviews weren’t great, but they were mixed for the first one too. The difference here is that audiences didn’t like it much either. They have it a devastating D+ Cinemascore (lower than Madame Web!) Were audiences just not up for a sequel? Was the musical element off-putting? Did fans feel insulted by a movie that all but told them they were losers for glorifying its predecessor? It’s probably a combination of all three. Honestly, the film’s big issue is that it’s just kinda dull, which is a shame because, as I said in my review, it’s way nervier and meaner than the first film in ways I found super intriguing. Don’t expect a third movie.

Google informs me that Sam and Colby are YouTubers who do paranormal investigations and explore creepy sites. Their channel has more than 13 million followers. Huh. Well, they’re big enough to have made a movie, Sam and Colby: The Legends of the Paranormal, and they had enough fans to help them gross $1.755 million from only 302 locations, giving them enough clout to open at number six.

That put them ahead of White Bird, a coming-of-age historical drama that’s a prequel to 2017’s Wonder. That film was a huge hit, in part because the novel it’s based on has been on the New York Times bestseller list for, as of the time of me writing this piece, 462 weeks. White Bird, alas, has not been so successful, and only made $1.53 million from 1,018 theatres. Another underperforming film for Lionsgate.

The Outrun, starring Saoirse Ronan, made $334,249 from 508 theatres. Keep an eye on this one. If Sony pushes it properly, it could be good news for Ronan and her awards run.

In other limited release news: the anime Look Back grossed $72,724 from two cinemas; Christian movie Leap of Faith brought in $31,530 from seven theatres; documentary Separated made $8,766 from one place; and the wonderfully titled Daaaaaali! earned $3,200 from seven theatres.

This coming week sees the release of the Pharrell Williams LEGO animation biopic Piece by Piece. Okay.

You can check out the rest of the weekend box office here.