Masked singer
The invasion of the clowns is complete.
Warner Bros’. gritty supervillain movie Joker has has become the highest-grossing R-rated film ever at the worldwide box office (not adjusted for inflation), beating out Fox’s Deadpool and Deadpool 2. Through Thursday, Joker has earned $788.1 million, surpassing Deadpool’s $782 million and its sequel’s $785 million. (Deadpool 2’s total was also boosted by a PG-13 re-release.)
Directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix in the title role, Joker garnered significant controversy and hype before its Oct. 4 release. Nevertheless, it racked up $93.5 million at the domestic box office during its opening weekend, setting a record for the biggest October debut ever.
Other R-rated films surpassed by Joker since then include 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded, 2017’s It, and 2003’s The Passion of the Christ.
Ryan Reynolds, the star of the Deadpool movies, congratulated Joker’s feat with a fittingly R-rated tweet Friday:
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- Joker laughs at the competition with second winning weekend in a row
- Joker breaks October box office record with $93.5 million opening
- Warner Bros. breaks silence on Joker controversy
Director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix put a new spin on Batman’s arch-nemesis.
