Warner Bros. is facing an uphill battle withJoker: Folie à Deux, as the film continues to struggle even after itsdebut on Premium Video On Demand (PVOD). After an utterly dismal box office run that saw the sequel to the billion dollar-grossingJokerleave theaters with a mere $58 million domestic gross, and $204 million worldwide—against a reported $300 million investment—the film’s PVOD release has gone even further in highlighting just how much the film has been rejected by audiences. After the movie dropped on PVOD last Tuesday,Folie à Deuxlanded in fourth place on both iTunes and Fandango’s charts.
On iTunes, where rankings are based on the number of transactions,Jokertrailed behind the horror dramaThe Substance, which debuted only two days later and managed to place third. Over on Fandango, where the rankings are based on how much revenue a film makes instead,Jokeralso managed to land in fourth place. At least there was some happy news for Warner Bros. as its big hitBeetlejuice Beetlejuicereturned to the top of the chartson both iTunes and Fandango in its fourth week of home release.
The lack of uptake for the movie isn’t overly surprising as it dropped like a fly from the multiplexes. The movie played in over 4,100 locations in the first two weeks of its run, before dropping to a little over 2,800 locations in its third week and then 1,200 theaters last week. This weekend, its box office numbers weren’t even reported by the trades, but it made just $140,000 from 324 theaters.
Why Has ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Flopped So Hard?
It’s hard to say without seeing for yourself, but the film has been incredibly divisive and the decision to switch from aMartin Scorsese-inspired drama/thriller to a courtroom drama with musical and fantasy elements went down like a lead balloon. The film’s critical reviews were not good either, and it appears to have landed at a “rotten” 33% approval rating on the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes.In his review, Collider’sMartin Tsaiwrote:
Phillips had one job, which was to recreate the jittery cringe of the originalJokerto capitalize on the commercial and awards successes. A middling courtroom tale and half-baked musical is not the kind of victory lap anyone wants. Your best bet is to go rewatchThe People’s Jokerand pretend this never happened.
Joker: Folie à Deuxis available on digital now.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Joker: Folie à Deux explores Arthur Fleck’s ongoing struggle with his dual identity as he unexpectedly discovers love and unleashes his hidden musical talent. Set against a backdrop of societal unrest, Arthur’s journey intertwines personal transformation with chaotic encounters, leading to profound shifts in his life and the world around him.
