This $200M movie is in serious trouble.
Listen, I won’t go against the grain and tell you that “Joker: Folie à Deux” is better than critics make it out to be (it isn’t), but it’s still this boldly audacious swing from director Todd Phillips, and I’d much rather watch something as ambitious as this film then, say, most of the IP garbage we’re used to seeing in theaters.
With that said, Deadline is reporting that a $55M opening is now expected for ‘Folie à Deux.’ If this numbers sticks come the weekend then it would be around $40M less than Joker’s opening of $96M in 2019. A major disappointment for Warner Bros.
Deadline goes on to imply that this $55M figure might actually be too generous since the film’s presales, currently well behind those of “The Marvels” and “The Flash,” indicate a below $50M bow for the weekend. One look at various theater seating charts and you notice there are plenty of tickets available for ‘Folie à Deux.’
In August, right before its Venice premiere, “Joker: Folie à Deux” was tracking for a $100M opening, some were even making it go as high as $120M-$140M, but these days reviews matter, especially for a bold swing such as this one, and the film’s Venice reception was just too toxic.
The more recent trend of major studios premiering pricey blockbusters at high brow festivals, such as Cannes and Venice, might be coming to an end. Hollywood has been burned too many times these last few years — think “Elemental,” “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” “Horizon,” and now ‘Joker 2.’
‘Folie à Deux’ is now three days away from release, and the buzz has more or less evaporated. ‘Folie a Deux’ is getting panned by critics. It doesn’t help that the film is an R-rated musical, which was already a tough sell to begin with, especially for fans of the grittier 2019 original.
The ‘Smile’ franchise has a new director. David Bruckner, who made “The Night House” and the 2022 “Hellraiser” reboot, has been hired to direct “Smile 3” for Paramount.