“Joker: Folie à Deux” made its debut in China over the weekend, marking its entry into its final major market. The offbeat sequel to the original “Joker” ranked behind the re-release of “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” on the box office charts.
The re-release of the second “Harry Potter” film earned $4.6 million, while “Joker 2” collected $5.9 million from 11,204 screens over a five-day period. Notably, the original 2019 “Joker,” which grossed an impressive $743 million internationally, did not screen in China. Warner Bros., the distributor for both “Joker” and the “Harry Potter” franchise, reported the box office results but did not clarify the three-day earnings for “Joker 2.”
Internationally, “Folie à Deux” added $14.7 million from 78 markets over the weekend, bringing its overseas total to $135.5 million. In North America, the film has grossed $56.4 million, totaling $192 million to date. With a production cost of $200 million, it is projected to incur losses between $150 million and $200 million during its theatrical run.
Additionally, all eight films in the “Harry Potter” series are returning to Chinese theaters, starting with the original “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” on October 11. The first film opened at second place in China’s box office, earning $6.6 million, behind the local war drama “The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death.” To date, it has generated $10 million. The re-release will continue with the remaining seven titles launching weekly through November. This marks the first time the “Harry Potter” franchise is being shown on such a large scale in China, reflecting the rapid evolution of the country’s film industry since the original films were produced between 2001 and 2011.
In other international box office news, Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot” remained the top Hollywood film, earning $23.1 million from 76 territories over the weekend. The well-received family film has generated $94.3 million overseas and $196 million globally. The studio staggered the international release, introducing “The Wild Robot” to 21 new territories this weekend, including the United Kingdom and Ireland ($4.2 million), Belgium ($700,000), and Ukraine ($500,000).
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