Despite $165M Global Earnings, ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Faces Tough Road To Profitability

Joker: Folie à Deux has reached a significant milestone at the global box office, but it remains far from profitability. The DC Comics musical sequel, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker and Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, has garnered attention for its disappointing box office performance. Despite the star-studded cast and high expectations, the film earned a D CinemaScore, the lowest ever for a superhero movie, leading to a steep decline in ticket sales.

According to Variety, the film has accumulated $165.3 million globally as of its second weekend in theaters. This includes $22.6 million from international markets, bringing the overseas total to $113 million. Despite surpassing the $150 million global milestone and landing at No. 20 on the 2024 worldwide chart, Joker: Folie à Deux still has a long way to go to reach its estimated break-even point of $450 million. With a production budget of $200 million, the film is still $285 million short of turning a profit.

While domestic earnings have been particularly underwhelming, with a $37.7 million opening weekend and an 81.2% drop in its second week, international markets have shown a less severe decline. Overseas ticket sales dropped by 72.1%, resulting in a global week-on-week drop of approximately 75.5%. However, this performance is still below original projections for the film, particularly in key international markets.

Despite the challenges, experts believe that Joker: Folie à Deux will continue to draw in audiences overseas. However, the likelihood of the film reaching its break-even point in theaters remains slim due to diminishing returns with each passing weekend. Factors such as mixed reviews and the film’s musical direction may have contributed to its struggles at the box office.

The performance of Joker: Folie à Deux adds to a series of recent DC film disappointments, including Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash. However, with the upcoming 2025 relaunch of the DC Universe under James Gunn’s leadership, the franchise may soon be back on solid footing.