'Joker 2' stumbles at box office with $40m amid poor reviews

The highly anticipated sequel to 2019's Oscar-winning "Joker," Joker: Folie à Deux, opened this weekend at the top of the box office, but with a far quieter debut than expected, reports AP News. 

According to studio estimates, the film earned just $40 million in its opening weekend, less than half of the $96.2 million launch of its predecessor.

The follow-up to Todd Phillips' gritty origin story of the Batman villain, starring Joaquin Phoenix, has left many industry insiders questioning how a sequel to a billion-dollar success could falter so dramatically. 

AP News also reported that the tracking services initially projected a $70 million debut, a notable decline from the first film's numbers but still respectable. However, the muted turnout has surprised box office analysts and dampened the film's early success.

Part of the challenge can be attributed to mixed reviews. 

Joker: Folie à Deux premiered at the Venice Film Festival to a lukewarm reception, and although it received a 12-minute standing ovation, critics were divided. 

The film's Rotten Tomatoes score plummeted from 63% at Venice to just 33% by its opening weekend. Even more damaging, audiences were not impressed. 

Ticket buyers polled on opening night gave the film a D CinemaScore, signaling dissatisfaction. Exit polls from PostTrak were equally bleak, with audiences awarding the film only half a star out of five.

"That's a double whammy that's very difficult to recover from," said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore.

Though Joker: Folie à Deux currently holds the No. 1 spot at the box office, its disappointing start was a surprise for theatre owners, who were hoping the film would help narrow the post-pandemic box office deficit.