Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix‘s latest project has left them looking like clowns. Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to the 2019 smash hit Joker, has been a box office failure since it debuted in theaters Oct. 4.
The ill-fated follow-up has made just north of $51 million domestically and $113 million internationally so far. The movie cost $200 million to make. Promoting it, meanwhile, left Warner Bros. with a $100 million bill, per Variety.
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The outlet further noted that, in order to break even, the film would’ve needed to earn $450 million since ticket sales are split between theater owners and studios.
That is not a figure Joker: Folie à Deux is expected to reach. Far from it, in fact, as the outlet reported it’s only expected to reach $215 million globally during its run.
Insiders and executives told the outlet that they project the musical sequel to lose between $125 million and $200 million.
The Hollywood Reporter said that following Joker: Folie à Deux‘s sub-par opening weekend, it suffered the worst box office decline in history for a comic book movie and one of the biggest among any film.
The studio didn’t take kindly to the reports, telling Variety, “Any estimates suggested by anonymous ‘insiders’ or ‘rival executives’ are grossly wrong and continues a trend where rumor is reported as fact. The film continues to play in theatrical release, included with this week’s opening in China, and will continue to earn revenue throughout its home viewing and ancillary run.”
This is all noteworthy given how blockbuster Joker was back in 2019. Five years ago, that Oscar-winning film raked in more than $1 billion globally during its run.
