MONICA SCHIPPERGETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICAGetty Images via AFP
Warner Bros.' "Joker: Folie a Deux," a dark new musical Batman spinoff, earned an estimated $40 million over the weekend to top the North American box office, industry watchers reported Sunday.
But that was far behind the $96.2 opening of the original "Joker" in 2019, a movie that earned Joaquin Phoenix a best-actor Oscar and grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.
Industry analyst David A. Gross called it "a weak opening for the follow-up sequel in a superhero series."
"Folie a Deux" -- French for "shared madness" -- again stars Phoenix as the unbalanced titular villain, this time joined by Lady Gaga (playing the cheerily deranged Harley Quinn) as the two sing, dance and plan assorted acts of mayhem. Todd Phillips directs, and the cast includes Brendan Gleeson and Catherine Keener.
Warner Bros.' "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" slipped to third, earning $10.3 million.
Michael Keaton again plays the creepily hilarious title character with Winona Ryder reprising her role as Lydia Deetz, backed by "Beetlejuice" newcomers Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci and Justin Theroux.
© Agence France-Presse
