In a surprising turn of events at the box office, Damien Leone’s indie horror film, Terrifier 3, has surpassed Todd Phillips’s highly anticipated sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, in a weekend filled with unexpected outcomes.
Starring David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown, Terrifier 3 is projected to rake in an impressive $17m to $18m over three days following its $8.2m opening on Friday. On the other hand, Joker: Folie à Deux, in its second weekend, is experiencing a drastic decline of around -82 percent, with earnings estimated at $6.7m to $7m – marking one of the steepest drops for a DC movie character in history.
The original Joker film, featuring Joaquin Phoenix, debuted strongly at $96.2m before ultimately grossing $1bn worldwide. In contrast, the sequel, made on a budget of $190m to $200m, has only managed to bring in $121m globally. Initial reviews following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival have been mixed, with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 33 percent from critics and a mere 32 percent from audiences.
Furthermore, Joker: Folie à Deux has received a disappointing D CinemaScore from opening day audiences, foreshadowing a bleak future at the box office. In comparison, its predecessor earned a more favourable B+ CinemaScore.
Terrifier 3, despite its graphic content leading to walk-outs and even instances of vomiting during screenings, has garnered a remarkable 94 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film’s distributor in the UK, Signature Entertainment, revealed that a preview screening prompted 11 walkouts and induced nausea in one viewer.
In a rare move, the Classification Committee in France has enforced a ban on Terrifier 3 for viewers under 18, a restriction not seen since Saw III in 2007. The film, which carries the equivalent of an NC-17 rating in the US, has already stirred controversy and polarised opinions, with its predecessor achieving considerable success on a modest budget.
Terrifier 3 and Joker: Folie à Deux are currently showing in cinemas worldwide, offering audiences contrasting cinematic experiences with their unique storytelling and audience reactions.