Joker sequel flops: only $ 40 million to the start!

Joker sequel flops: only $ 40 million to the start!

The film world looks bound after the latest developments in the Marvel universe, but the continuation of the dark comic adaptation "Joker: Slide à Deux" causes a lot of sensation-but not for the hoped-for reasons. While the first part took a brilliant start in 2019 with over $ 96 million, the latest prank could not even achieve half of them. Last Friday, according to the first estimates, only about $ 40 million flowed into the US cinemas' coffers. The industry alerted this and many are already talking about a flop.

The excited continuation directed by Todd Phillips brings with it an unusual mix of dark drama and musical elements. With Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in the leading roles as Joker and Harley Quinn, the film takes a brave step. But the nerve of comic fans does not seem to have been hit. This combination of singing and dark story punishes the expectations of the audience.

bad reviews and their effects

The number of spectators speaks a clearer language than the cinema revenue: a survey by the “Cinemascore” company results in a worrying D. This is the lowest public assessment that has ever been awarded for a comic adaptation and indicates a rather negative word of mouth. For comparison: The first “Joker” film was rated in 2019 with a B+, and this indicates that the audience is disappointed with the new sequel.

The fact that the film only covers a moderate success can also be due to the mixed reviews. Critics sometimes practice devastating comments and talk about the incompatibility of the musical with the previous topics of the film. The soulful songs, which are strongly contrast to the dark atmosphere in Gotham City, add another layer to the concept of the film, which is perceived as out of place.

global numbers and production costs

On the worldwide level, however, the balance sheet looks a little better. According to the “Boxoffice Mojo” industry portal, the international income amounts to over $ 81 million, so that the total revenue of the debut sums up to $ 121 million. Nevertheless, these numbers are far from the $ 200 million production costs that the Warner Bros. studio invested. As a rule, films quickly achieve the amount that flowed into the production at their start weekend, but "Joker: Slide à Deux" is miles behind this brand.

The artistic decisions that are behind this film have split many fan groups and raised questions whether the creative team correctly assesses the expectations of the fans. It remains to be seen whether the film can recover in the course of the coming weeks or whether the financial failure continues and will certainly continue to be a hotly discussed topic in social networks and among film critics.

In this respect, it remains an exciting chapter in the cinema world, whether the courage to break new ground is rewarded, rewarded or punished. This will not only be an important lesson for those involved, but also for the entire film industry. Opinions are split and the discussion about the future of such film projects is just going.