Put on a happy face: In its fourth weekend in theaters, Warner Bros.’ “Joker” returned to the top of domestic box office charts, narrowly defeating Disney’s “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.”
The two villains had been in a close race for first place, but Sunday estimates show “Joker” will walk away victorious with $18.9 million in ticket sales. Those rankings could change Monday morning after final tallies are reported since “Maleficent 2” is trailing behind with $18.5 million.
It’s rare for any film to claim No. 1 in its fourth outing, but the surprise (and non-consecutive) win for “Joker” highlights its impressive endurance despite initial fears that it would incite violence. It’s only the third movie this year — following Universal’s “Glass” and Disney’s “Avengers: Endgame” — to secure in first place during three weekends. “Joker” also recently became the most successful R-rated movie in history, collecting $849 million worldwide. Joaquin Phoenix’s gritty take on Batman’s infamous nemesis has generated $277 million in North America and $571 million at the international box office.
Since topping domestic charts last weekend with disappointing $36 million, Angelina Jolie’s “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” has generated a lackluster $65 million at the North American box office. The dark fantasy sequel continues to see better results overseas, where it pulled in another $64.3 million for an international haul of $228 million. Globally, the “Maleficent” follow-up is nearing the $300 million mark with ticket sales currently at $293 million.
STX’s horror thriller “Countdown” had the strongest start among new offerings, placing fifth with $9 million from 2,675 venues. The PG-13 film, about a nurse who downloads an app that predicts when a person is going to die, cost $6.5 million.
Sony’s R-rated action drama “Black and Blue” launched at No. 6 with $8 million from 2,062 theaters. Directed by Deon Taylor, the $12 million film follows a rookie cop (Naomie Harris) who inadvertently captures the murder of a young drug dealer on her body cam.
Despite higher ticket sales for “Countdown,” moviegoers who turned out on opening weekend appeared far more enthusiastic about “Black and Blue.” The former has a bleak C+ CinemaScore from audiences, while the latter holds a rare A+. “Black and Blue” is rated R, which could have limited the scope of potential ticket buyers who might still be showing up to see “Joker.” However, positive word-of-mouth could bode well for its future.
Behind-the-scenes turmoil appeared far more interesting than the movie itself for this weekend’s final newcomer, “The Current War.” The historical drama arrived in theaters two years after Harvey Weinstein premiered it at the 2017 Toronto Film Festival. After sexual abuse allegations were leveled against Weinstein and his company shuttered, “The Current War” was shelved and sold to Lantern, who then sold domestic rights to 101 Studios, the company created by former Weinstein Company COO David Glasser. “The Current War” earned a dismal $2.7 million from 1,022 screens, marking one of the lowest openings for a nationwide release.
(Excerpt) Read more in: Variety
