Long-range projections currently indicate Todd Phillips' upcoming Joker film could open somewhere between 2017's Justice League and 2018's Aquaman.
Box Office Pro predicts Joker will earn between $60 and $90 million domestically over its opening weekend. $77 million is the current estimate, which, if true, could lead to a total take of around $175 million domestically by the end of the film's run. That's against a reportedly low budget of around $55 million. One of the driving forces behind the strong opening is the high level of anticipation for the film, which is already getting Oscar buzz.
Those numbers are likely to change and become more solid as Joker gets closer to its release date and reactions from audiences and critics start pouring in. Additionally, this doesn't factor in the movie's international box office.
In terms of other DC movies, this projection would indicate a strong opening for the film. Joker could very likely earn more more than Aquaman ($67.8 million) and Shazam! ($53.5 million), though the movie lags behind Justice League's $93.8 million. Still, the budget of that PG-13 team-up film was reportedly around $300 million and Joker is R-rated, meaning its potential audience is smaller. If projections hold, Joker could easily go on to have the 8th highest-grossing opening domestically for a DC film.
Directed by Todd Phillips, Joker stars Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Bill Camp, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Douglas Hodge, Marc Maron, Josh Pais and Shea Whigham. The film arrives in theaters Oct. 4.