Joker sequel flops at Venice, US sales forecast plummets

One of the main attractions of the 81st Venice International Film Festival was supposed to be the premiere of the film "Joker: Folie à Deux." In 2019, "Joker" left Venice with the Golden Lion, but the sequel returned to Hollywood with a cold reception. The cool reception at the festival caused sales forecasts in the United States to plummet.

It has been a little over a dozen days since September 4, 2024. During this time, the perception of the film "Joker: Folie à Deux" has changed significantly. On that day, viewers and journalists were able to see the sequel to one of the most talked-about films of recent years, a major box office hit that also won many prestigious awards for the first time. Besides the Golden Lion in Venice, "Joker" also received two Oscars (for best actor and music) and a total of eleven nominations from the American Film Academy.

In theaters worldwide, "Joker" grossed over a billion dollars. And since it only cost $55 million, it became one of the most profitable productions of recent years. It is already known that the sequel—due to its budget—will not be able to repeat such a spectacular success. The production cost of "Joker: Folie à Deux" reached as much as $200 million.

According to critics who saw the film in Venice, "Joker: Folie à Deux" is a typical example of the mistake made by Hollywood studios. A critic from "Decider" expressed that the large production budget hinders the creation of an original film. They suggested that substantial funding often pressures creators to make the film "stronger, richer," which seldom leads to a satisfying result.

Other reviews included stronger terms: "Chaos and boredom," "Completely unnecessary film," "Wasted potential of Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga." The cool reception in Venice immediately impacted ticket sales forecasts. Just a dozen days ago, it was estimated that the comic book production would earn $130 to even $150 million in American theaters during the premiere weekend. Now, "Deadline" reports that after the first three days of presales, the opening result may reach only $70 million, significantly less than the first part ($96.2 million).

Although this is still a lot of money, with poor reviews, one can also expect a significant drop in attendance in the following days of screening. The situation is becoming worrisome. To stop the downward trend, a new trailer has been released, which no longer includes musical elements, and Lady Gaga's performance is treated quite peripherally in it.