In 2019, “Joker” became an improbable box office hit and cultural juggernaut.

Of course, the R-rated crime drama was based on the omnipresent Batman villain. But this version of the Clown Prince of Crime was darker and more disturbing than your average comic book adaptation — closer to Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver” than DC’s anti-hero adventure “The Suicide Squad.”

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Directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker” defied all odds (and controversy over security issues) to generate $1.07 billion in worldwide ticket sales, against a shoestring budget of $55 million. After the release of Warner Bros. became one of the highest-grossing superhero films in history and garnered 11 Academy Award nominations, a sequel was almost destined.

However, the second film, “Joker: Folie à Deux,” which hits theaters Friday, may not have the last word.

The sequel, bringing back Phoenix as Arthur Fleck and introducing Lady Gaga as his sidekick Harley Quinn, is expected to collect between $50 million and $65 million from 4,100 North American theaters in its box office debut . This is a big drop from the first film, which grossed $96.2 million over the same weekend in 2019 and set a record for the October opening weekend. As for “Folie à Deux,” the projected ticket sales aren’t much of a cause for concern, but they are somewhat disappointing given the smash success of the original. The sequel would cost $200 million, which would be much higher.

“Joker 2” is expected to perform much better at the international box office with estimates of $80 million to $85 million this weekend. With these projections, the film could gross between $130 million and $150 million worldwide by Sunday.

On paper, “Joker: Folie à Deux” has what it takes to be another certified sensation. Phoenix reprises his Oscar-winning role, alongside an actor known for being so intensely committed to his craft – and who happens to be one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. However, industry experts believe the sequel’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival ended up dampening some of the buzz and contributed to weaker-than-expected box office showings. It makes sense that Warner Bros. wanted to bring “Folie à Deux” back to the Lido after “Joker” won the festival’s top prize five years ago. Yet critics and festival-goers weren’t as enthusiastic about the sequel, leading to weeks of word-of-mouth before the general public could see the film. Reviews were also mixed on the original film – “Joker” scored 69% on Rotten Tomatoes while “Folie à Deux” is currently at 63% – so it’s possible that curiosity will once again prompt moviegoers to turn out in force to judge. the film for themselves.

“Joker” served as a brooding and macabre origin story for Batman’s notorious foe, who is portrayed in this cinematic universe as a reclusive, struggling stand-up comedian and part-time clown. In the sequel, co-written by Phillips and Scott Silver, Joker meets his demented muse, Harley Quinn, while serving time for murder in Arkham Asylum. Zazie Beetz also returns as Arthur’s old neighbor while Brendan Gleeson and Catherine Keener join the cast. Although the film has been called a musical, Phillips said the categorization is not entirely accurate, although the story features several song and dance numbers.

“Most of the music in the film is really just dialogue,” the director said. Variety. “It’s just that Arthur doesn’t have the words to say what he wants to say, so he sings them instead.”

Although “Joker 2” isn’t the only newcomer this weekend, the comic book sequel will easily dominate the domestic box office charts. Also new in theaters: Lionsgate’s “White Bird,” billed as a prequel and sequel to the 2017 hit “Wonder,” starring Jacob Tremblay. He’s aiming for single digits this weekend. This is a notable drop from “Wonder,” which opened to $27 million and grossed a whopping $132 million domestically and $314 worldwide by the end of its diffusion.

Marc Forster directed “White Bird,” which focuses not on Tremblay’s character Auggie from “Wonder” but rather on his middle school bully, Julian, played by Bryce Gheisar. In the present day, Julian is ostracized for the way he treated Auggie, so his grandmother tries to help him change his life by telling him about growing up as a Jewish girl during the Holocaust. In Variety reviewer, Dennis Harvey wrote that “the storytelling here transcends a youthful tenor to appeal to all ages.”

Despite the potential for broad commercial prospects, “White Bird” is shaping up to be the latest in a string of underperforming Lionsgate releases following last weekend’s “Megalopolis,” the survival thriller “Never Let Go,” the comedy “The Killer’s Game” and video. adaptation of the game “Borderlands”.

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