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Biggest box office bomb of 2024 lost $200 million, was beaten by $2 million indie film, director froze studio out
The sequel to a billion-dollar hit, the film became 2024's biggest flop, ending a franchise completely.
2024 was the year of remakes, sequels, and franchises in Hollywood. Each of the year's top 10 highest-grossing American films was either a sequel, a remake, or part of some series. And yet, one sequel of a billion-dollar film became the year's biggest flop. Despite many critics raving about the film, it had a controversial fate at the box office, with many original fans shunning it outright. (Also read: Joaquin Phoenix's Joker 2 deliver disappointing numbers at the US Box office after a flop opening)
The biggest box office bomb of 2024
Todd Phillips' Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to the 2019 critically acclaimed blockbuster, Joker, ended up as the biggest box office disappointment. Joker 2 was made on a $190-200 million production budget. According to The Guardian, the film had an additional input in marketing and publicity and needed over $400 million to break even. Ultimately, the film managed just $206 million worldwide, less than a fifth of what Part 1 had earned five years ago. Outlets like Variety put Joker 2's losses at the box office in the $150-200 million range.
Just how badly Joker: Folie à Deux performed at the box office can be gauged by its dramatic 81% drop in earnings in the second weekend. It lost to Terrifier 3, an indie horror film made on a budget of just $2 million. By the third weekend, the DC film had dropped out of the top five grossers of the week.
Why Joker: Folie à Deux crashed and burned
There have been many theories about why Joker 2 could not replicate the original's success. The film brought back Joaquin Phoenix to reprise the role for which he won an Oscar. Lady Gaga came in to play Harley Quinn, Joker's flame. But during the making, reports emerged that director Todd Phillips froze DC and Warner Bros executives out of the film. Guardian reported that Phillips refused test screenings and changed the character of Arthur from 'the' Joker to a predecessor. This, along with the film's musical genre, apparently turned off the core comic book fanbase of the film, which stayed away from theatres. Word of mouth was largely negative, leading to further drops in earnings and the eventual underwhelming collections.
