Joker: Folie a Deux is slowly starting to sell in the US and grossed $40 million in its opening weekend, according to a report

Joker: Folie a Deux, one of the most anticipated films of the year, underperformed at the US box office. Even though the film debuted at No. 1 in North America, the film’s earnings were disappointing throughout the week. According to a report by Variety, it grossed $40 million in its opening weekend, which fell short of expectations. Initial projections for the film’s opening were estimated at $50–70 million. Additionally, its opening weekend gross of just under $200 million was significantly lower than its predecessor, which grossed an impressive $96.2 million during its debut weekend.

This disappointing performance poses a significant challenge for Warner Bros., especially considering the huge success of the original film. Negative reviews of the sequel will likely impact its shelf life in theaters. Although the film gained a lot of buzz on the Internet, fans were disappointed with its musical approach. The R-rated sequel has a massive $200 million budget compared to the first film’s $65 million budget. Folie a Deux must earn at least $450 million to break even, according to sources familiar with the film’s financial situation cited in the report.

The original Joker was a major box office success, grossing $335 million in the US and $743 million worldwide. At the time, it was the highest-grossing R-rated film until Deadpool and Wolverine came along, which grossed $1.32 billion.

Joker: Folie a Deux has a 31% “Rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a “D” on CinemaScore from audiences, which could make it difficult for the film to match the success of the original. The critical consensus review on Rotten Tomatoes reads as follows: “Joaquin Phoenix’s titular Joker takes a stand in a sequel that dances while the story remains stationary, though Lady Gaga’s wild energy adds some verve to the Folie á Deux.”

“When you give the green light to a sequel, you hope it will do the same thing as the last one. This is definitely a problem. “Warners wanted a sequel and probably spent too much to make it happen,” Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations, told Variety.

In the Todd Phillips-directed sequel, Arthur meets Harleen Quinzel, played by Lady Gaga, while he is incarcerated at Arkham Asylum for murder. The film takes the form of a fantasy musical and includes covers of songs such as Get Happy, That’s Entertainment and For Once in My Life.

“Todd Phillips wanted to do something completely different, but musical numbers in a superhero movie have always been difficult to sell to mainstream audiences,” Bock said.