Joker has laughed its way to a big record. The Warner Bros. film has become the top-grossing R-rated film of all time, not adjusted for inflation, with a global box office haul of $788.1 million. It is expected to cross $800 million Friday or Saturday.
Joker, from filmmaker Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix as the DC villain, has passed the superhero film Deadpool, which became a surprise hit in 2016 for Fox with $783 million in worldwide ticket sales. (Deadpool 2‘s earnings were roughly $738 million before a PG-13 cut of the 2018 film brought the movie’s total grosses to $785 million.)
Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds sent out a cheeky, congratulatory tweet on Friday morning.
To date, Joker has earned $258.6 in North America and $529.5 million internationally. It is is expected to ultimately take in close to $900 million globally, with some thinking it has a shot at approaching $1 billion. The film is an enormous win for Warner Bros., particularly considering it faced security concerns ahead of its release and that it is not a traditional comic book movie. Ultimately, Joker is expected to turn a profit north of $400 million. Village Roadshow and Bron each have a 25 percent stake in the film.
The new record for Joker puts it atop an R-rated all-time list that, in addition to Deadpool, includes 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded ($738.6 million), 2017’s It‘s ($697 million) and 2003’s The Passion of the Christ ($622.3 million), not adjusted for inflation.
