A major upset is in the offing at the domestic box office this weekend, with the unrated horror title Terrifier 3 looking to dethrone the mega-budget sequel Joker: Folie à Deux from atop the charts. In fact, Joker: Folie à Deuxwill likely take a record tumble, as it finally scrapes past the $50 million mark after a terrible opening week of release. The film debuted to disappointing numbers, and was unseated from the number one position within a few days of its debut. Not only is it tanking in comparison to the original 2019 Joker, also starring Joaquin Phoenix and directed by Todd Phillips, it's emerging as one of the biggest -- if not the biggest -- box office bombs of the year.
Terrifier 3, on the other hand, is riding a wave of positive buzz all the way to a number one finish this weekend. The slasher sequel over-performed with more than $8 million on opening day, which includes the $2.6 million that it made in Thursday previews. It's currently expected to gross around $15 million across its three-day debut, after earning a "verified hot" audience rating of 92% on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, in addition to a relatively solid B CinemaScore from opening day crowds. By comparison, Terrifier 2 concluded its domestic run with $10 million a couple of years ago -- a number that Terrifier 3 will surpass in just two days. Orchestrated by director Damien Leone, the Terrifier film franchise has successfully expanded its cult fan base after debuting theatrically in 2016.
At the number two spot, the animated hit The Wild Robot grossed around $3.8 million on its third Friday, and is expected to generate around $13 million across the weekend. This represents a lean 30% decline from the previous frame, and should take the film's running domestic total past the $80 million mark. At this point, a $100 million-plus finish is all but guaranteed, which probably prompted Universal to announce a sequel recently. Produced on a reported budget of under $80 million, The Wild Robot opened to near-unanimous praise from both critics and audiences, and has emerged as a quietly resilient fall counter-programmer.
A Host of Smaller Releases Occupied the Lower Spots Close
Meanwhile, after generating around $2 million on Friday, Joker: Folie à Deux is eying under $10 million in its second weekend, which represents a huge 75%-plus decline. After delivering a shockingly low $37 million opening weekend haul -- by comparison, the first Joker made nearly $100 million in its first three days of release -- Joker: Folie à Deux is poised to witness one of the biggest second weekend drops in the history of wide releases. At this stage, it's unlikely that the film even manages to hit the $100 million mark domestically by the end of its run; it will pass the $50 million milestone by Sunday. For context, Warner Bros. allotted a reported $200 million budget to the movie, after the first Joker grossed $1 billion worldwide.
The fourth spot was claimed by Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which debuted on digital streaming platforms a few days ago. Now in its sixth weekend of release, the film grossed a little under $2 million on Friday, and will add over $6 million across the next couple of days. By Sunday, the film's domestic haul should hit the $275 million mark. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has already grossed more than $400 million worldwide, and is passing Batman's lifetime global haul to become director Tim Burton's second-biggest hit. Fifth place is going to come down to the holdover flop Transformers One, which has now finally crawled past the $50 million mark after three full weeks of release, and the comedy drama Saturday Night, which expanded wide this week after 14 days in limited theaters.
Also debuting are the Donald Trump drama The Apprentice, the Indian blockbuster Vettaiyan, the inventive Pharrell Williams biopic Piece by Piece, and Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh's A24 film We Live in Time. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Joker: Folie à Deux explores Arthur Fleck's ongoing struggle with his dual identity as he unexpectedly discovers love and unleashes his hidden musical talent. Set against a backdrop of societal unrest, Arthur's journey intertwines personal transformation with chaotic encounters, leading to profound shifts in his life and the world around him.
Release Date October 4, 2024 Director Todd Phillips Cast Joaquin Phoenix , Lady Gaga , Brendan Gleeson , Catherine Keener , Zazie Beetz , Steve Coogan , Harry Lawtey , Leigh Gill , Jacob Lofland , Sharon Washington , Troy Fromin , Bill Smitrovich , John Lacy , Ken Leung
