Despite Controversy, 'Joker’ Had a Record-Breaking $93.5 Million Opening Weekend
Starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular villain, Joker was one of the most anticipated films of 2019 — and the movie's October debut proves just that.
On its opening weekend, Joker raked in $93.5 million in the US alone, according to The Hollywood Reporter. This marks the biggest October opening weekend of all time, beating out 2018's Spiderman spinoff Venom which debuted at $80 million. It's also one of the largest R-rated opening weekends to date.
The movie was a huge success internationally too, bringing in $234 million globally — despite not being released in China yet.
The record-breaking opening weekend comes after some critics dubbed the movie "dangerous," as well as the shutdown of two California screenings due to a security threat.