Joker: Folie à Deux, featuring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, was released in India on October 2. The film grossed ₹5 crore at the box office on its opening day but saw a significant drop in earnings over the next two days. On October 4, it earned ₹1.35 crore and further dipped to ₹1.25 crore on Friday, with an overall English occupancy of 7.96%. As of now, the film’s total collection stands at ₹7.75 crore, reported Sacnilk. Directed by Todd Phillips and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, this sequel to the 2019 hit Joker also stars Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, and Zazie Beetz in significant roles.
The 2019 original Joker set the bar high in terms of box office collection. With a meagre $65 million budget, the film generated an incredible $1.07 billion worldwide. In contrast, Joker: Folie a Deux is made with a budget of $200 million and hasn’t gotten as many favourable reviews as its predecessor. The sequel is expected to gross between $50 and $65 million in the opening weekend, far behind the original film which grossed $13.3 million in Thursday previews and $96.2 million on opening weekend, reported Variety.
Joker: Folie a Deux hit the theatres in India, 2 days ahead of its worldwide release. Sharing the fresh posters of the film on Instagram, makers urged the audience to bookmark the global premiere date. The poster showed Joaquin Phoenix sporting the iconic painted Joker face. Lady Gaga was seen as Harley Quinn with a grim expression. We could spot smudged black ink under her eyes. “The spotlight is theirs to take. Joker: Folie a Deux – only in theatres and Imax, October 4,” read the note attached to the post.
The 2019 Joker narrated the story of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a failed comic who gradually degenerates into a lunatic and alters Gotham City’s destiny. The sequel picks from its ending, where now Arthur is placed in an institution in Arkham as he waits to be tried for his crimes as the Joker. While battling his dual identity, Arthur finds his true love in Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga).
Joker: Folie a Deux had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September.