“Joker” aiming for a USD 77 million opening

(FASTNEWS|COLOMBO) – The earliest box-office tracking estimates are in for Todd Philips’ R-rated DC Comics adaptation “Joker” and Box-Office Pro is reporting that the film is headed for a domestic opening weekend of around $77 million.

The film’s range, however, could land it anywhere between $60 and $90 million depending upon reviews and marketing near release. If that estimate holds, it could earn more than both “Aquaman” ($67.8 million) and “Shazam!” ($53.5 million) in their openings – and all on a reported $55 million production budget.

Reviews will start coming in at the end of the month when the movie has its worldwide premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The directors of both the Venice and Toronto film festivals have highly praised the film and indicate it could be a serious awards contender.

“Joker” opens October 4th and 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 among others.