It’s official—Joker: Folie à Deux is juggling its way out of theaters and straight into your living room, and faster than you can say, “Refund, please.” After an opening that fizzled harder than flat soda, this sequel is already sprinting toward on-demand release. Mark your calendars for October 29, because that’s when Warner Bros. hopes you’ll at least pretend to care enough to rent it.
Box Office: A Comedy of Errors
The movie? A flop. A flop so monumental it makes the original Joker look like it won an Oscar (oh wait, it did). It managed to break a record—but for the most catastrophic second weekend drop in history. Legendary stuff, really.
According to Variety, Warner Bros. poured $200 million into this film’s production, plus another $100 million on marketing—because why not throw some glitter on that train wreck? To break even, the movie needed to make about $450 million at the box office. But don’t worry, Warner Bros. “insiders” insist it only needed a modest $375 million. You know, just one billionaires’ spare change.
Instead? Variety reports the movie is on track to lose between $150 million and $200 million—which means Warner Bros. basically got mugged by a guy in clown makeup.
Warner Bros.: “Rumors Are Just Jokes!”
A Warner Bros. spokesperson finally chimed in, and wow, what a performance! They basically said, “Those so-called insiders don’t know what they’re talking about—this isn’t a disaster, it’s just… avant-garde budgeting!” They also reminded everyone that the movie is still playing in theaters, including in China. (Spoiler: China’s not buying it either.)
The good news? The film will “continue earning revenue throughout home viewing.” Translation: They’re crossing their fingers that enough people will hate-watch it out of sheer curiosity.
So, if you missed the chance to see Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix belt out a duet while dressed like sad circus types—don’t worry! You can soon experience the madness from the comfort of your couch, without the guilt of paying for a ticket.
Will on-demand streaming save this film? Probably not. But at least Warner Bros. now knows: sometimes the joke is on you. 🎭