Well, looks like the joke’s on… well, no one. Warner Bros. was clearly betting hard on Todd Phillips’ dive into the DC Universe and everyone and the academy already knew Joaquin Phoenix is no slouch as a leading man. Still, it’s pretty impressive to watch as Joker continues to sprint wild-eyed and loose-limbed toward a potential $900 million* box office (or greater!), on track to become the highest grossing R-rated film of all time.
Over the weekend, the film’s third, Joker earned $107 million, bringing the movie’s worldwide box office to over $737 million and climbing, and, as Deadline points out, that’s all without premiering in China. Now Joker need only surpass Deadpool’s $783 million at the box office. (Deadpool 2 earned $785 million, but that included the earnings of Deadpool 2’s PG-13 holiday re-release). Of course, since this is the story of Arthur Fleck, a story which teaches us that the world is…unfair? Complicated? A stage?, Joker may rake in the highest dollar amount, but that amount is not adjusted for inflation.
*The post originally stated that Joker was on track for $900 billion, as opposed to million. That really would have been something. Alas.