Joker 2 could cost Warner Bros. a hundred million dollars.

The flop of Folie à Deux at the US and worldwide box office risks leaving a mark on the studio's accounts.

You're never sure of anything in the cinema. Who could have predicted that Joker 2 was going to be one of the flops of the year? Or that the continuation of Todd Phillips would cause Warner Bros. to lose money. ?

And yet, the musical comedy carried by Joaquin Phoenix And Lady Gaga is heading towards a small industrial disaster for the studio. Folie à Deux grossed only $51.5 million in the United States and $165 million worldwide after two weeks of release. In comparison, the first Joker had already generated $96.2 million in the USA and $250 million worldwide after… three days! Obviously, Joker 2 will not end up a billionaire like his glorious predecessor. According to current projections, ticket sales are expected to top out at around $65 million at the US box office, for a worldwide total of $210-215 million at the end of its run in theaters.

A very small score, knowing that Joker 2 cost $200 million in production budget, to which must be added $100 million in marketing, distribution costs and others. It is estimated that the film would need to reach $450 million in revenue to reach a break-even point during its theatrical run (we will point out here that box office revenues are gross, not everything goes into the studio's pocket According to internal sources, this break-even point would be lower, around $375 million. In any case, according to Variety, analysts now estimate that Folie à deux will cause the company to lose between $150 and $200 million. studio, during its theatrical release.

False, answers Warner Bros. in a press release: “Estimates suggested by anonymous “inside sources” or “rival executives” are completely false and part of a trend where rumors are presented as fact. The film continues to be screened in theaters, it will be released in China this week, and will continue to generate revenue throughout its screenings and its ancillary releases.

What is true is that Warner Bros. will indeed be able to catch up on Home Video. Joker 2 should work well on Blu-Ray, VOD and other platforms. The film, which will not have been widely seen in theaters, will thus have the potential to recover at least part of the lost investment. And besides, the studio would have planned a release on October 29… less than a month after its cinema release.