Joker Director Pays Tribute to Deadpool & Wolverine After New Box Office Record

Deadpool & Wolverine is officially the highest-grossing R-rated film to ever hit theaters. The record is one previously held by Joker, the Oscar-winning Joaquin Phoenix vehicle that will soon get a sequel, and Joker helmer Todd Phillips is congratulating the Marvel picture on its success. Saturday, the filmmaker took to his Instagram account to share a series of Deadpool-related photographs while applauding Ryan Reynolds and company on their success with the threequel.

“Have to tip my hat to @vancityreynolds and @slevydirect for this absolute steam roller of a movie,” Phillips shared on the image-based social network. “We knew it was gonna be big, but this is too much. 😂 Congrats to everyone involved!!”

Through Saturday, Deadpool & Wolverine has pulled in a staggering $1.142 billion in global box office receipts, the most any R-rated movie has ever made. Phillips’ Joker finished its award-winning box office run with a $1.047 billion global haul. The R-rated top five is then rounded out by Oppenheimer ($976 million), Deadpool 2 ($785 million), and Deadpool ($782 million). Joker ended up being nominated for 11 Oscars after releasing, winning Best Actor for Joaquin Phoenix’s performance, and Best Original Score.

Joker: Folie à Deux is a direct follow-up to the picture, featuring Phoenix back as the Clown Prince of Crime and Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn.

“She’s so good in it, you guys,” casting director Francine Maisler previously said of Gaga’s performance. “She’s going to blow your mind. I didn’t suggest Lady Gaga. It wasn’t my idea. That was Todd Phillips, before me. But I will tell you, she’s really surprising — and really good. I saw it and I was really surprised. I mean, we all knew what she could do in A Star is Born, but I thought, ‘Oh, well, that’s kind of in her wheelhouse.’ Something she could do and just be real. But this… Man, she’s good. Joaquin blows your mind, but that she could keep up with him, and be real — and not just wiped off the screen by what that role is and what the performance is — shows she’s good.”

Joker: Folie à Deux is set for release on October 4th, while Deadpool & Wolverine is exclusively in theaters now. The first Joker can be seen streaming on Max and the first two films in the Deadpool franchise are streaming on Disney+.