Joker Folie a Deux breaks an unwanted record during its disappointing opening weekend

Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck and Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn in Joker 2
(Image credit: Warner Bros)

Joker Folie a Deux has added to its already rather disappointing opening as it has broken yet another record of lows, this time relating to its Cinema Score. 

Joker 2 has earned a Cinema Score of D, according to the official CinemaScore website, making the sequel the first ever comic book movie to earn a D from audiences. Moreover, this is the lowest grade a comic book movie has had since Fantastic Four in 2015 which received a C-. Ouch. 

The movie has also fallen behind Madame Web and Morbius, often regarded as some of the worst superhero flicks released in past years, which both have C+ Cinema Scores. Worse yet, Joker Folie a Deux currently has a far lower audience score on Rotten Tomatoes than the two, with 37%. Whereas Madame Web currently sits at 57% and Morbius at 71%. However, it is important to note that Joker 2 has a higher critics score than both of the Sony Marvel movies mentioned. 

This only adds to the movie’s bleak opening weekend as it is estimated the new DC flick racked up $40 million on its domestic opening in the US, and $121 million in total worldwide, compared to its budget of $200 million. It's clear to see that this is a serious drop from the first Joker movie which opened at $96 million domestically with a $55 million budget. Joker was a raging success which reached over $1 billion during its full theatrical stint spanning over 65 weeks, according to BoxOfficeMojo.

The reviews are not much better either. In our own two-star Joker Folie a Deux review, we describe the sequel as an "art courtroom movie, part behind-bars romance, Folie à Deux is an unconventional musical sequel that fails to hit the high notes."

But there are some fans, as first reactions to the movie saw Joker 2 being called "a bold, daring and mesmerizing masterpiece." Plus, our own writer celebrated Lady Gaga’s bold performance in an opinion piece calling for the star to have more spotlight roles

Joker Folie a Deux is out in theaters now. For more on the movie, check out our pieces on the Joker 2 ending explained, the Joker 2 post-credits scene, and whether or not there will be a Joker 3.

Editorial Associate, GamesRadar+

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for SFX and Total Film online. I have a Bachelors Degree in Media Production and Journalism and a Masters in Fashion Journalism from UAL. In the past I have written for local UK and US newspaper outlets such as the Portland Tribune and York Mix and worked in communications, before focusing on film and entertainment writing. I am a HUGE horror fan and in 2022 I created my very own single issue feminist horror magazine.  

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