The Clown Prince of Crime has just dethroned the Merc with a Mouth, with Warner Bros. and DC Films’ Joker topping 2016’s Deadpool to become the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time.
The Todd Phillips-directed film, which sees Joaquin Phoenix becoming the latest actor to portray the iconic comic book villain, has taken its worldwide haul to $788.3 million, surpassing the $782.6 million haul of Deadpool (not to mention the $785 million haul of Deadpool 2, although $50 million of that came from the PG-13 Once Upon a Deadpool release).
SEE ALSO: Jared Leto reportedly tried to block Joker movie from being made
As is customary whenever a record like this falls, the previous record holder – in this case Ryan Reynolds – has shared a congratulatory post on Twitter, one that is certainly befitting the Merc with a Mouth…
R-Rated box office congratulatory posts aren’t like the ones you’re used to… pic.twitter.com/OTy2BqIP4f
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) October 25, 2019
With analysts predicting a final tally of around $900 million, Joker is set to become one of the most profitable superhero movies of all time and is tipped to turn a profit close to $500 million, putting it in the same league as Marvel’s Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War (although both of those earned more at the box office, Joker was produced for around $60 to $65 million – a fraction of your typical Marvel blockbuster).
Joker centres around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen. The exploration of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a man disregarded by society, is not only a gritty character study but also a broader cautionary tale.
Joker stars Joaquin Phoenix (The Sisters Brothers), Robert De Niro (Goodfellas), Zazie Beetz (Deadpool 2), Bill Camp (Red Sparrow), Frances Conroy (American Horror Story), Brett Cullen (Narcos), Glenn Fleshler (Billions), Douglas Hodge (Penny Dreadful), Marc Maron (GLOW), Josh Pais (Motherless Brooklyn), Shea Whigham (Kong: Skull Island), Douglas Hodge (Robin Hood) and Dante Pereira-Olson (You Were Never Really Here).
