Todd Phillips’ Joker seems to be both earning rave reviews and generating controversy in equal measure, and it looks like all of the publicity is set to translate into a huge debut at the box office. The anticipation surrounding the R-rated psychological thriller dressed up as a comic book movie is reaching fever pitch ahead of the movie’s opening this weekend, and Joker looks set to score the biggest October weekend in history.
While some of the recent outrages surrounding Joker led many people to believe that it might harm the movie’s chances of box office success, it looks like the opposite could be true. Ever since the Clown Prince of Crime’s origin story earned a standing ovation following its first screening that launched it firmly into awards contention, audiences have been eager to see what all the fuss is about.
The current October record is held by another comic book movie, the Tom Hardy-led Venom, which opened to $80.2m last year. The most recent projections have Joker debuting to at least $85m, although it remains to be seen what effect, if any, the series of scathing attacks launched on the flick will have on these numbers.
As the old saying goes, controversy usually generates cash, and at this stage the box office record is Joker’s to lose. Some of the reviews have been incredibly polarizing, but everyone seems to be in agreement that Joaquin Phoenix delivers an incredible performance as the title character, and is a shoo-in for a Best Actor nomination at the Academy Awards. Either way, Joker is set to be a blockbuster regardless of how much money it earns over its first three days.
