‘The Wild Robot’ Beats ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ at International Box Office
“Joker: Folie á Deux” isn’t rebounding at the international box office, where the off-beat comic book musical added $22.6 million from 77 territories in its second weekend of release.
Though the film has performed far better in overseas markets compared to domestically — with $113 million internationally and $51 million in North America, bringing its global tally to $165.3 million — ticket sales are lagging far behind expectations. The Warner Bros. sequel cost $200 million to produce (not including the roughly $100 million spent on marketing and other distribution expenses). So, it’ll struggle at this pace to get anywhere close to the $450 million needed to break even, according to knowledgeable sources.
More from Variety
“Joker 2” debuted in Japan with $2.4 million over the weekend and touches down in its next major territory, China, on Oct. 16. So far, United Kingdom stands as the top-grossing overseas market with $11.8 million, followed by Germany with $7.9 million, Italy with $7.6 million, Mexico with $7.4 million and France with $7.1 million. Moviegoers who have trekked to theaters to see “Folie a Deux” have opted for premium screens, with Imax contributing $13.5 million in global ticket sales.
Revenues for the “Joker” sequel were lagging behind Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot,” which soared to No. 1 among Hollywood offerings with $24.1 million from 55 territories over the weekend. The well-reviewed family film has amassed $64.7 million overseas and $148 million globally to date. The studio is staggering the international release, with plans to open “The Wild Robot” in additional markets in the coming weeks.
More to come…
Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.