It would seem that Joker got the last laugh, as the daring WB/DC Comics film scored huge at the box office this weekend.
The film earned $93.5 million domestically from 4,374 theaters, setting a new opening record for the month of October. Globally, Joker raked in 140.5 million from more than 70 markets, bringing its worldwide total to $234 million.
In North America, Joker topped 2018’s Venom ($80.3 million), and became one of the best three-day openings of all time for an R-rated title, as well as the fifth biggest weekend launch of 2019 to date. For WB, it’s the best launch in almost 2 years.
Debuting at the Venice Film Festival to critical acclaim, the film has earned a fair share of controversy in the United States due to its handling of violence and mental illness. Countless reports came out about if the film would inspire someone to mimik the acts of The Joker, and theatres and police departments began to take precautionary measures.
In response to the controversy, WB released a statement, explicitly outlining that the film never endorses acts of violence, nor does it condone the actions of its titular villain.
Clearly however, no real threats have stemmed from the film, which, of course, is not surprising.
Elsewhere, Dreamworks’ Abominable placed second with $12 million, Downton Abbey scored third $8 million, Hustlers at fourth with $6.3 million, and finally, IT: Chapter Two rounded out the top five with $5.4 million.
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