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It’s no mystery that the release of Todd Phillips’ Joker was filled with controversy, and a lot of people were afraid that the film would crash and burn in the box office, or lead to several mass shootings. The great thing is, none of those terrible things happened, and the film has now officially become the highest grossing R-Rated film of all time.
As per Forbes, the Joker film is the first ever R-rated film to get past the $1 billion barrier, and it’s funny that it should do that on the same day as the widely reviled Justice League came out. What’s also impressive is that this film has managed to hit the mark without a Chinese release; with the Chinese box office usually a big source of revenue when it comes to the overall worldwide gross.
While nobody is expecting Joker to earn a second billion, it is certainly a message for WB that audiences are open to these darker films in the comic book genre. After Batman v Superman kind of forced WB to take things to a lighter tone, this should be a testament that these films will still make good money as long as a good story is there. Maybe this can even fuel fire to the release of Zack Snyder’s original cut of Justice League; as #ReleasetheSnyderCut is gaining some major resurgence on Twitter.
Forever alone in a crowd, failed comedian Arthur Fleck seeks connection as he walks the streets of Gotham City. Arthur wears two masks — the one he paints for his day job as a clown, and the guise he projects in a futile attempt to feel like he’s part of the world around him. Isolated, bullied and disregarded by society, Fleck begins a slow descent into madness as he transforms into the criminal mastermind known as the Joker.
For now, you can catch Joker still in theaters.
