Joker Soars to #1 with $234 million Global Opening
Warner Bros. stand alone Joker movie pulled the rug out from the box office, soaring to the #1 position worldwide. In the US, Joker brought in an estimated $93.5 million, setting a new opening record for the month of October after eclipsing Venom‘s $80.2 million opening last year. The film is also just $.3 million below Justice League‘s opening in 2017 and beat out the three day opening weekend of Aquaman by a significant margin. Internationally the Joaquin Phoenix feature brought in $140.5 million for a global opening of $234 million, the highest opening for Phoenix or director Todd Phillips.
DreamWorks Animation and Pearl Studio’s Abominable slipped to second placed, bringing in an estimated $12 million and giving it a domestic total of $37.8 million. Internationally the film has brought in $38.5 million ($11.2 million from China where Pearl is the distributor) for a worldwide total of $76.3 million. The film is down significant from last year’s Smallfoot (the other Yeti-themed animated feature film) which brought in $83 million domestic and $214 million worldwide.
The Downton Abbey movie from Focus Features fell to third place with another $8 million weekend, giving it a US total of $73.6 million. Internationally the film continuation of the hit TV series has brought in $61.8 million for a worldwide total of $135.4 million.
Hustlers slipped to fourth place, bringing in $6.3 million for a domestic total of $91.3 million, the STX film will no doubt cross the $100 million mark in the next week. The film’s global total sits at $110 million. Produced on a budget of $20 million, the film will no doubt be one of of the major success stories for the year. Written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, the film also stars Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, with Mercedes Ruehl and Cardi B.
Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema’s IT Chapter Two crossed the $200 million mark, landing in fifth place with an estimated domestic haul of $5.355 for a US total of $202.2 million. Internationally the sequel has brought in $234.5 million to date and has a worldwide total of $436.7 million. The film joins an exclusive club of $200 million domestic horror movies that only includes the first IT, The Exorcist, The Sixth Sense, and World War Z.