If you ever thought that Warner Bros.’s plan for a gritty, R-rated take on a Batman villain was a bad idea, well the joke is most definitely on you now. Writer/director Todd Phillips’ Joker has already been breaking records as it overtook Deadpool to become the highest-earning R-rated film of all time. Now the film has claimed one more title and it may be the most impressive one yet. According to Forbes, Joker has now officially become the most profitable comic book movie ever.
On Friday, the Joaquin Phoenix-led film crossed $956 million, meaning that it has a 15.3x multiplier on its $62.5 million production budget. That pushes it past previous record-holder The Mask which earned $351 million on a $23 million budget in 1994. Avengers: Endgame may be the biggest film of all time with its $2.798 billion global tally, but with an estimated production of $356 million that only gives it a 7.8x multiplier.
Other notable comic book movie makers that Joker has now leapfrogged include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ($200 million from $13.5 budget = 14.7x multiplier), Deadpool ($783 million from $58 million budget = 13.5x multiplier), Batman ($411 million from $35 million budget = 11.7x multiplier), and Venom ($854 million from $90 million budget = 94x multiplier).
On top of this achievement for Joker, this weekend past saw the film climb to an overall worldwide total of $985 million. At this point, it’s all but inevitable that the film will reach the $1 billion mark in the coming week or so, and when it does it will become the cheapest film to ever do so. This milestone was previously owned by Steven Spielberg’s original Jurassic Park which earned $1.029 billion off a $63 million budget in 1993.
Joker has thus far exceeded all box office expectations, especially impressive given that it’s an R-rated adult drama that didn’t use the extra income from 3D ticket prices to push up its numbers like most of its comic book blockbuster contemporaries. It didn’t even need China, the world’s second-biggest movie market, and it will soon overtake The Dark Knight ($1.004 billion) to become the highest-grossing film to not release in the key Asian market. Joker is very much laughing all the way to the bank!
Last Updated: November 11, 2019
Hammersteyn
November 11, 2019 at 09:29
That’s amazing
Son of Banana Jim
November 11, 2019 at 09:30
Do they really need China? All pandering to China has done is create weakened or censored piles of mass produced garbage. If China wants in, it needs to put on its big boy pants.
But of course, Hollywood desperately wants that lucrative Chinese investment money. I mean who else would fund an all-female Rambo?
Hammersteyn
November 11, 2019 at 09:45
China has a massive market and their government only allows a certain amount of foreign movies every year. Fortunately they didn’t need China with the movie being on the cheap side to make but if it did show in China it would’ve made so much more.
Son of Banana Jim
November 11, 2019 at 10:12
There lies the conundrum, China does have a potential (over a) 1 billion bums for seats, and when a fraction show up a movie that’s failing in the US could be saved at the box office, but I still wonder at what cost?
It was cool to see a Chinese hero in the Pacific Rim movies, but when last have we seen an American movie with a brutal and honest take on China. I miss when action movies had something to say, even if it was dumb American propaganda, which I find less offensive than the current crap of “Uncle Jinping is such a good guy”.
Back in the 80s, the bad guys were Russian, Iranian or from South America… And we loved it. I even miss the anti-war, anti-government fare of the late naughties… Or the bleak war-crazed nihilism of the Bush years.
What have we to show these days? Crappy Disney Star Wars fan fiction? More marvel movies that stink? More Mellisa McCarthy? By the gaming gods, give me something with balls…
?
Hammersteyn
November 11, 2019 at 10:12
American propaganda indeed, Rambo 3 came out when the Soviet–Afghan War
was coming to an end. Luckily we have Deadpool as well. Can’t wait to see what part Melissa McCarthy plays in the next SW trilogy
Son of Banana Jim
November 11, 2019 at 10:12
Actually….
Rumba (a tale of a sassy divorced hairdresser who goes to Mexico to find love… And an Ak 47) should be made.
Melissa McCarthy is Rumba!!!
Yozzie
November 11, 2019 at 09:29
So many multipliers you would think EA actually made a new Skate.
Darren Peach
November 11, 2019 at 10:04
It goes without out saying…..but I believe there was a little er hysteria…surrounding the wider media and claims that this movie was a call to arms for the army of incels out there.
Pariah
November 11, 2019 at 09:01
Title is a bit misleading. Most profitable to me goes by the actual amount, not by the ratio – which I’ve honestly never seen used before.
Weanerdog
November 11, 2019 at 11:42
Yeah, bullshit clickbait by Forbes (and by extension here). It’s best Return on investment. But it’s not even taking the full investment into account.
Yozzie
November 11, 2019 at 12:13
Indeed. And when I see any reference to “Forbes” my brain goes into white noise mode.
Son of Banana Jim
November 11, 2019 at 12:13
I remember when Forbes meant something… Ah to have been young once.
Weanerdog
November 11, 2019 at 12:42
Ok Boomer!
Son of Banana Jim
November 11, 2019 at 12:42
Shut up Millen… Oh wait, you’re older than Trevor.
“Are you lost grandpa? Do you need help finding your teeth!”
Weanerdog
November 11, 2019 at 13:12
Did I leave them on your wife’s nightstand again?
Son of Banana Jim
November 11, 2019 at 16:54
You know you marry a guy’s mother and then he tries to make the situation creepy. By the way, your mom wants you to return the house keys….
Weanerdog
November 11, 2019 at 17:51
You’re not my dad!
Weanerdog
November 11, 2019 at 17:51
You’re not my dad!
Son of Banana Jim
November 11, 2019 at 17:51
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/60a85866b21e570b6641d20087e38811c3b08ba744b98b1becc8e1dd530607e8.jpg
Weanerdog
November 11, 2019 at 17:51
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fba393692bcffe5adc14ac10c92394a3307751caa4d7c8ca3e1ed403e52cffd2.jpg
Weanerdog
November 11, 2019 at 17:51
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fba393692bcffe5adc14ac10c92394a3307751caa4d7c8ca3e1ed403e52cffd2.jpg
Son of Banana Jim
November 11, 2019 at 17:51
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/60a85866b21e570b6641d20087e38811c3b08ba744b98b1becc8e1dd530607e8.jpg
Son of Banana Jim
November 11, 2019 at 16:54
You know you marry a guy’s mother and then he tries to make the situation creepy. By the way, your mom wants you to return the house keys….
Hammersteyn
November 11, 2019 at 16:54
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM………..er
Pariah
November 11, 2019 at 12:13
It’s too early on a Monday for this aggro stuff. Let’s chill a bit lol. Yeah it’s a bit misleading but that’s no reason to get too worked up lol. Nobody was harmed during the writing of this article.
Weanerdog
November 11, 2019 at 15:57
Wait what. It’s still Monday. Will this day never end.
Pariah
November 11, 2019 at 16:54
XD
Yeah that’s relatable.
The D
November 11, 2019 at 13:12
Kervyn’s feelings were, you monster.
Son of Banana Jim
November 11, 2019 at 13:12
Kervyn has no feelings. He was made in Hong Kong.
Kervyn Cloete
November 11, 2019 at 13:12
Lies. Pure and utter lies. I have one feeling: Lust for gatsbies.
Pariah
November 11, 2019 at 13:12
Why?! You know that feeling is contagious…
And now I’ve got it too. Dammit all!
Pariah
November 11, 2019 at 13:12
Did you just assume Kervyn’s feelings?
Kervyn Cloete
November 11, 2019 at 10:41
I see and perfectly understand the quibble about the semantics. But I’m hoping that the article at least explained itself enough.
Pariah
November 11, 2019 at 10:41
Yeah hence “a bit”. I saw the title and thought “no chance”, but the article did clarify. I still think it’s weird phrasing, but there’s no mistaking that it has the highest profit ratio.