Todd Phillips’ DC movie Joker is poised to become the highest grossing R-rated U.S. release of all-time heading toward a potential $900M in global ticket sales.
In its third weekend, the Warner Bros./Village Roadshow/Bron Studios’ release made $107M worldwide sending its overall total to $737.5M. The pic, which has won Joaquin Phoenix high praise for his turn as a twisted, social outcast and a top spot on awards prognosticators’ annual best actor list, just needs to beat Deadpool‘s $783M tally before it owns the global-grossing record for a R-rated U.S. release. Deadpool 2‘s $785M global gross includes $47M from its PG-13 holiday cut. Joker has already surpassed New Line’s It worldwide B.O. of $700.3M, and will soon outstrip Warner/VR’s The Matrix Reloaded‘s $742.1M WW. The only place left for Joker to trick and treat is in China.
There were extreme concerns from the FBI, U.S. military, LAPD, NYPD and local law enforcement around the country over Joker and its impact on America’s NRA-obsessed society. Thank God, people have just simply gone to the movies to watch the edgiest DC comic book film of-all-time. One rival distribution exec exclaimed today how Phoenix’s performance “is transcendent”, provoking the masses to go. Warner Bros. marketing department, which knew how to sell Joker before Phillips shot a frame, also gets huge credit here for positioning the pic as a hip, cool, prolific comic-book film you’ve never seen (as opposed to its severe Taxi Driver meets Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer sensibilities). By premiering the pic on the fall film festival circuit of Venice and TIFF, Warners promptly wowed reviewers who gave it a 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, enough to enable the pic to crossover to non-fanboys who are propelling Joker to $300M domestic. Joker will soon pass $500M overseas. Nancy breaks down this weekend’s Joker updates here.