Italian
Joker: folie à deux takes second place in China behind Harry Potter re-release
The electrifying sequel, “Joker: Folie à Deux”, premiered over the weekend in its final major market, China. Despite the high expectations, it landed behind the re-release of “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” on the box office charts.
box office showdown
The fiercely beloved second installment of the Harry Potter saga netted $4.6 million, marking a significant achievement for a film first released decades ago. Meanwhile, the new Joker sequel managed to rake in $5.9 million from an astounding 11,204 screens across a five-day period. This remarkable performance comes despite the original 2019 “Joker” not having been released in China, where it grossed a whopping $743 million internationally.
Warner Bros., the powerhouse behind both the Joker and Harry Potter franchises, noted the clear standing of the two films on the box office charts. However, they withheld specific insight into the Joker sequel’s performance over a typical three-day weekend.
global reach and financial strains
“Joker: Folie à Deux” didn’t just stop at China. The film added $14.7 million from 78 markets globally over the weekend. This brings its international total to an impressive $135.5 million. In North America, its total stands at $56.4 million, culminating in a global gross of $192 million. Despite these impressive figures, the film, which cost $200 million to produce, is on track to face losses estimated between $150 million and $200 million during its theatrical run.
the wizarding world revisited
Harry Potter fans in China are in for a treat. All eight magical films starring the beloved boy wizard are making a grand return to Chinese theaters, starting with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” on October 11. The first film garnered $6.6 million, placing second on China’s box office charts, just behind the local-language war drama, “The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death”. To date, the Harry Potter re-release has amassed $10 million.
The re-release will continue with the remaining seven titles dropping weekly throughout November. Produced between 2001 and 2011, these films initially entered the Chinese market during a time of rapid evolution in its film industry, but they never had the expansive reach they are experiencing now. For many fans, this marks the first opportunity to experience the Harry Potter universe on the big screen in such a grand manner.
animation still reigning
Away from the wizarding world, Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot” remains a titan at the international box office. Over the weekend, this well-reviewed family film grossed $23.1 million from 76 territories, holding the top spot for Hollywood offerings globally.
With an international total of $94.3 million and a global tally of $196 million, “The Wild Robot” continues to make waves. The studio’s clever strategy of a staggered international release saw the film debut in 21 new territories, including notable markets like the United Kingdom and Ireland ($4.2 million), Belgium ($700,000), and Ukraine ($500,000).
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