This will be the most profitable R-rated film ever -- and that's no joke!
A profit of a half-billion dollars.
That's how much profit the Warner Brothers -- by way of DC Comics -- film "Joker" is on track to make as the film heads into its fourth weekend. According to Deadline, the flick is "poised to make at least $464 million after global theatrical, TV and home entertainment windows, and it could be more."
With a $70 million production budget and a current worldwide box office gross of more than $734 million, the Warner Brothers/Village Roadshow/Bron Studios production is on its way to becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. It's a sweet victory for DC since it also surpasses comic book movie rival "Deadpool" from studio rival Marvel/Disney, which grossed $783 million (the sequel, "Deadpool 2" took in a $785 million global gross but that included $47 million from a PG-13 holiday "special edition release.
Joaquin Phoenix plays the titular character in Todd Phillips’ sinister origin story of one of the most sinister villains from the Batman storyline.
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This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Joaquin Phoenix in a scene from "Joker." (Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
The box office take is also gratifying, given the pre-release controversy and concerns about the film's violence. Police departments across the country displayed a visible presence at local theaters when the film opened. Theater chains Regal, Landmark and AMC publicized their safety precautions in an effort to alleviate moviegoer's anxiety.
Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
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T | AT&T INC. | 19.01 | -0.18 | -0.94% |
DIS | THE WALT DISNEY CO. | 89.97 | +0.73 | +0.82% |
The movie could have made more money internationally but no release date has been announced for China -- and given the recent tensions in Hong Kong, few see a release there in the offing. On China's version of Q&A site Quora -- Zhihu -- one user wrote jokingly, “It can [get released] if they change the name to Happy Comedian and cut some violent scenes.”