• 2 days ago
With so many distinct stories being told involving DC Comics heroes and villains, one might assume that — for a grinning, face-painted example — the fate of Todd Phillips’ standalone sequel "Joker: Folie À Deux" wouldn’t have any direct effects on James Gunn’s "Superman" and the launch of the first chapter of the DCU. Which might have been the case had it made all the money in the world, but with the quasi-musical severely underwhelming at the box office, Warner Bros. execs are reportedly getting antsy.

Despite the ever-decreasing amount of goodwill and fanfare aimed at the "Joker" sequel and stars Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, hopes were still kept marginally high that the offbeat DC villain tale would defy the odds and crush its theatrical competition on the way to becoming another billion-dollar success story. Instead, the demented drama's debut weekend topped out below $38 million domestically, raising questions about how other upcoming DC movies may fare.

Recommended