Joker Movie Projected for $155 Million Box Office Opening Worldwide

The closer we get to the weekend, the more it looks like Joker will be a big splash at the box office — at least, much bigger than many initially thought. The latest industry tracking (via Deadline) suggests the Todd Phillips film will rake in at least $155 million worldwide its opening weekend, which would be second-best for an October release behind Sony's Venom, which ended up making $207.4m this time last year.

The report says despite security concerns stateside, the film hasn't slowed tracking projects or impacted the film from getting picked up overseas. Deadline suggests prebookings in Europe are "phenomenal" and the film should make an additional $75m between France, Germany, and China alone. Also working in the movie's favor is the fact it's the lone wide release hitting theaters this weekend. Some of the limited releases hitting theaters this weekend include Dolemite is My Name, Lucy in the Sky, and Wrinkles the Clown.

The latest tracking numbers came moments after the New York Police Department confirmed it'd be putting an extra emphasis on patrolling Joker as a precautionary measure, a move the department says could deter potential copycats from committing an Aurora-style theater shooting. The security concerns seem rooted in a United States Army bulletin sent to members of the military which seems to suggest they've learned of a credible threat of a possible mass shooting. Warner Brothers immediately responded to the bulletin with a statement of its own.

"Gun violence in our society is a critical issue, and we extend our deepest sympathy to all victims and families impacted by these tragedies," reads the statement. "Our company has a long history of donating to victims of violence, including Aurora, and in recent weeks, our parent company joined other business leaders to call on policymakers to enact bi-partisan legislation to address this epidemic. At the same time, Warner Bros. believes that one of the functions of storytelling is to provoke difficult conversations around complex issues. Make no mistake: neither the fictional character Joker, nor the film, is an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind. It is not the intention of the film, the filmmakers or the studio to hold this character up as a hero."

Joker bows October 4th.

Are you heading to Joker this weekend? How many times do you plan on seeing it in the future? Let us know your plans in the comments!