Joker Movie Now Projected for $90 Million-Plus Opening Weekend

Joker has already had the best preview night for any movie ever released in the month of October and by now, it's most certainly on pace for a record-breaking opening weekend. Updated tracking now suggests the Joaquin Phoenix-starring supervillain flick will end up grossing north of $90 million domestically. Should that be the case, Joker would end up besting Venom — the current October opening weekend record holder — by nearly $10m.

Earlier reports tracked the film for a worldwide opening of $155m, which included an $80m domestic haul. With the revised numbers, it would seem to suggest the film could end up having a much larger opening both stateside and abroad. Warner Brothers reportedly initially expected the film to make between $75m and $80m domestically. The film is currently playing on 4,374 screens, another October record.

The movie has been held under a microscopic lens since the Army reportedly sent out a security bulletin to members of the military warning them of a potential threat of mass shootings during screenings of the film. Warner was quick to issue a statement in the wake of the bulletin.

"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."

ComicBook's Brandon Davis loved the flick, giving it a perfect five out of five. "Whether or not Joker is a social commentary on issues such as poverty or mental illness," Davis' review reads. "A new and mysterious take on the best known DC Comics villain, or just another unforgettable piece of cinema which producer Martin Scorsese is attached to, you'll need to see to believe it and, even then, you still might not believe it."

Joker is now in theaters. Upcoming DC Movies include Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) on February 7, 2020, Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5, 2020, The Batman on June 25, 2021, The Suicide Squad on August 6, 2021, and Aquaman 2 on December 16, 2022.

Have you seen Joker yet? How many more times are you heading back this weekend? Share your thoughts in the comments below or by tweeting me at @AdamBarnhardt!