Warner Bros and Todd Phillips’ latest addition to the Joker saga, “Joker: Folie à Deux,” faced a challenging debut at the box office. Following a disheartening opening weekend, the film continued to struggle, securing approximately $22.7 million from 77 international markets during its second weekend—a staggering 70.5% drop from its initial tally. As of now, the overseas gross has reached $113.7 million, contributing to a worldwide total of $165.3 million. Analysts project that the film could ultimately gather around $150 million internationally, although future projections may be overly optimistic considering its current trajectory. Interestingly, Japan marked its debut this weekend, with “Joker 2” emerging as the top American title, bringing in $2.4 million.
The film’s performance has not been uniformly dismal, with the UK leading the overseas box office with a total of $11.8 million, followed by Germany ($7.9 million), Italy ($7.6 million), Mexico ($7.4 million), and France ($7.1 million). Nonetheless, observers are curious about how it will fare in the crucial Chinese market, although expectations remain muted. So far, the film has earned $13.5 million from IMAX screenings globally, of which $7.3 million has come from international markets, indicating some potential yet untapped revenue among the larger screens.
Transitioning to a more positive narrative, Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot” has demonstrated an impressive performance in the marketplace. During its staggered release, the film added 19 new markets, including significant regions such as France, Spain, Italy, and Brazil, amassing a weekend tally of $24.1 million—a mere 23% decline in revenue among holdovers. With international earnings now at $64.7 million, the film’s global gross stands at $148.5 million. In comparison with similar past titles, “The Wild Robot” is outpacing films like “The Bad Guys,” “Migration,” and “Trolls” in the same territories, excluding China.
The film’s debut performance has received positive reception, with France leading the charge at $3 million, which includes $700,000 from preview screenings. This strong start mirrors the early enthusiasm seen with other animation hits such as “Puss in Boots 2” and “Elemental.” Notably, the film will benefit from upcoming All Saints holiday promotions, which may contribute to its sustained success, as evidenced by an audience score of 4.5 on AlloCinè. The film’s positive reception was foreshadowed during its works-in-progress screening at the Annecy festival, where the audience was left excited about its potential.
On the other end of the spectrum, Paramount/Hasbro’s release of “Transformers One” added nine new international markets but did not make waves in every territory. The UK reported a solid No. 1 launch, raking in $2.4 million across 583 locations, bolstered by the school holiday crowd. However, Germany saw it falter with a disappointing No. 7 start, only managing to collect $555,000. As a result, the film’s weekend total reached $6.2 million, bringing its cumulative overseas earnings to $58.5 million, while global totals are at $111.4 million. France is anticipating its release on October 23, which could revitalize interest in the film as it seeks to expand its audience.
In an unexpected surge, Marvel/Disney’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” has achieved remarkable success, recently notching the highest-selling first week ever for an R-rated film in digital platforms across the US. With its estimated worldwide gross now standing at $1.334 billion, the film impressively surpassed “Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi,” symbolizing a monumental success in Disney’s portfolio. As it edges closer to overtaking “Barbie” domestically, “Deadpool & Wolverine” has already cemented its place as the 20th highest-grossing film globally.
To summarize, the current landscape of the box office presents a dichotomy of fortunes: while “Joker: Folie à Deux” continues to see its appeal wane, titles like “The Wild Robot” soar based on genuine audience affection. As these stories unfold, one thing remains clear: the global box office is a dynamic entity, reflecting the changing tastes and moods of viewers around the world.
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