Sequels generally debut higher than their predecessors, but Joker: Folie à Deux faced an uphill battle to surpass the $96.2 million opening weekend of the original Joker in 2019. Over the past few weeks, early projections for the Joker sequel were repeatedly adjusted downward. Currently, Joker: Folie à Deux is projected to have opened with just $39 million, and this figure could still decrease once final numbers are tallied. The first Joker film earned $152.2 million internationally during its opening weekend, culminating in a global haul of $248.4 million and eventually reaching $1.079 billion worldwide. This set a record for an R-rated film until it was surpassed by Deadpool & Wolverine earlier this year. In contrast, Folie à Deux managed $81.1 million in international markets, resulting in a global debut of only $121.1 million—less than half of what the first film achieved in the same period.
The original Joker was highly profitable due to its relatively modest $60-70 million budget. The sequel, however, reportedly cost between $190-200 million to produce, making its performance particularly disastrous for Warner Bros. Pictures. Even if the film performs exceptionally well in Japan and China—where it has yet to open—there is little hope that Joker 2 can break even. Instead, it is likely that this Joker film will result in a significant financial loss for the studio. THR cites poor word of mouth as the primary reason for Folie à Deux's underwhelming performance. The sequel received a D+ CinemaScore from audiences, an unusual rating for superhero-related films. Critics were also unimpressed with the Joker follow-up. If the film's performance declines further next weekend, it may not remain in theaters for long.
