Joker performs similarly to Venom at the box office during its Thursday night previews. Directed by Todd Phillips, the latest Warner Bros and DC project stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck - a failed comedian who eventually assumes the persona of the Joker. Boasting a star studded cast including Robert De Niro, Marc Maron, Brett Cullen, Frances Conroy, and Zazie Beetz, the film takes back viewers to the late '70s and early '80s, giving the iconic DC villain a proper origin story despite not really basing on a comic book narrative.
In the months leading to the release of Joker, it has generated generally great reviews from critics - even emerging as the winner of the Golden Lion during this year's Venice Film Festival. Hailed primarily for Phoenix's brilliant portrayal of the disturbed Fleck, the actor and even the movie are poised to be an awards season darling. Its critical success is bolstered by what's shaping up to be an impressive opening weekend as implied by current box office tally during its preview night.
Deadline is reporting that Joker is on its way to pocket $10 million in previews that began 4PM last night. It's the same amount money that Ruben Fleischer and Tom Hardy's Venom from Sony Pictures Entertainment made last year, which set an October Thursday night record. The outlet is projecting Joker to surpass the current record, but it reminds fans that this data isn't from Warner Bros. but from their own sources.
Amidst the critical praise that the Joker has been receiving, it was also caught in a couple of controversies that began with the backlash regarding its use of violence. Some are understandably worried that the movie which puts what's technically an anti-hero at the forefront may inspire another mass shooting. In light of families of the Colorado theater shooting seven years ago expressed similar concerns, The Century theater chain decided to not screen the film there. Meanwhile, U.S. military even released a statement to its soldiers warning them about possible violence during Joker screenings. Given this impressive turn out, it doesn't seem like viewers are letting the fear of a potential incident affect their eagerness to see the film.
Other than their similar preview night earnings, Venom and Joker share a couple more similarities. For starters, both are movies based on villainous characters usually tied to traditional heroic players (Spider-Man and Batman, respectively). The public was also initially skeptical of the projects when they were first announced, and while Venom was far from the acclaim that Joker is currently experiencing, the movies seem to capture the interest of movie-going audience. These kinds of box office numbers at this time of the year enforces that the traditional summer blockbuster season timetable is no longer valid. The public is going to see a film they're interested in regardless of what time of the year it releases.
Source: Deadline
