It will come down to Monday actuals to determine this weekend’s No. 1, as Warner Bros./Village Roadshow’s “Joker” and Disney’s “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” are in a virtual tie on this pre-Halloween weekend.
“Joker” is currently being given the edge with $18.9 million in its fourth weekend, with “Maleficent” just behind with $18.5 million in its second weekend. The Disney sequel, with its $185 million budget, will rely on overseas numbers to turn a profit, as it reaches a $65 million 10-day domestic total and a $293 million global total.
But the big box office achievement belongs to “Joker,” as it becomes the highest grossing R-rated film of all time, not counting for inflation. Domestically, it now has a total of $277 million, which ranks it in the top 10 among all R-rated films. But globally, it is now the first R-rated film with a raw total of over $800 million, as it added $47.8 million to bring its international total to $571 million. The film has set DC records in 34 countries and has become the highest grossing Warner Bros. release of any kind in 14 countries, including Russia, Argentina, and Mexico.
With a global total of $849 million, “Joker” has passed “Wonder Woman” as the fourth-highest grossing DC film ever, and will pass “Batman v Superman” this week to take third behind only “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises.” And “Joker” might have a chance to pass “The Passion of the Christ,” which has the highest R-rated gross after inflation with approximately $950 million, according to analysts who spoke to TheWrap.
The No. 1 spot isn’t the only contested space on the box office charts, as two other virtual ties are leaving this weekend’s top 5 up in the air. Two seasonal offerings, United Artists/MGM’s “The Addams Family” and Sony/Columbia’s “Zombieland: Double Tap” are neck-and-neck for No. 3, with each estimated to gross approximately $11.5 million this weekend. “Addams,” in its third weekend, has a total of $72.6 million while “Double Tap” has a $46.7 million 10-day total, keeping it on the same pace as its 2009 predecessor.
The last spot in the top 5 is a close call between this weekend’s two wide releases, STX’s “Countdown” and Sony/Screen Gems’ “Black and Blue.” “Countdown” is being given the edge with an $9 million opening from 2,675 screens, while “Black and Blue” is estimated for an $8.3 million opening from 2,062 screens.
Critics reception for both films has not been strong, with “Countdown” receiving 27% from Rotten Tomatoes, while “Black and Blue” takes a more mixed 46%. But audience reception has favored “Black and Blue,” where a primarily African American audience has responded to the film’s take on police violence with an A+ on CinemaScore, while “Countdown” has received a far more muted C+. Both films will turn a profit as “Black and Blue” was made on a $12 million budget while “Countdown” has a net $6.5 million budget.