“Joker” continues to attract fans – and concern from law enforcement. The Warner Bros. film about the DC Comics super villain outdrew a new Will Smith movie from Paramount Pictures and a new animated family feature to lead the domestic box office for a second week.
The film, starring Joaquin Phoenix in the title role of the Joker, took in $55 million over the weekend in North American theaters, researcher Comscore Inc. estimated Sunday. Analysts expected $43 million to $45 million. “The Addams Family,” from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and United Artists Releasing, placed second, while “Gemini Man,” featuring Smith in a life-or-death fight with his younger clone, landed in third place.
With a storyline that looks similar to some real-life mass shootings, “Joker” has sparked concerns about violence. The FBI said Friday it was monitoring online threats centered on showings of the movie. The studio, part of AT&T Inc., has said the film isn’t intended “to hold this character up as a hero.”
“The Addams Family,” based on the satirical Charles Addams cartoons from the New Yorker, opened with sales of $30.3 million, more than analysts’ forecasts of up to $29 million. It’s the third feature-length movie to come out of the cartoons, which also spawned a TV series in the 1960s and a 2009 musical.
“Gemini Man,” from Viacom Inc.’s film division, opened with sales of $20.5 million, compared with forecasts of $21 million to $22.8 million. The film from director Ang Lee features Smith as an assassin – and his younger clone, Junior. The movie had been in the works for years, but the filmmakers had to wait for enabling technology to catch up, according to the New York Times.
One other new movie opened in wide release. “Jexi,” a comedy from Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. featuring Rose Byrne, opened with sales of $3.1 million. Box Office Mojo was predicting $3.5 million.
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