Joker: Folie a Deux Tops Box Office

Warner Bros.' 'Joker: Folie a Deux' topped the North American box office with an estimated $40 million over its opening weekend, though this figure significantly trails the $96.2 million debut of the original 'Joker' in 2019. Industry analyst David A. Gross described the sequel's opening as 'weak' for a superhero film, especially given the critical acclaim of its predecessor, which earned Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar and grossed over $1 billion worldwide. The dark musical features Phoenix reprising his role as the titular villain alongside Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, directed by Todd Phillips. Following 'Folie a Deux', the family-friendly film 'The Wild Robot' dropped to second place with $18.7 million, while 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' fell to third, earning $10.3 million. Other films rounding out the top five include 'Transformers One' and 'Speak No Evil'.