Joker is laughing all the way to the bank.
The Todd Phillips film opened worldwide on Friday and drew audiences in 73 countries, securing its spot at number one at the box office.
The film, starring Joaquin Phoenix, delves into the backstory of Batman’s nemesis, depicting the character as a mentally-ill man named Arthur Fleck who, after failing in his career as a stand-up comedian, turns to a life of crime.
The film made its debut at the Venice Film Festival where Phoenix received a ten-minute standing ovation and the feature won the prestigious Golden Lion award.
The domestic opening was the largest of all time for October, topping that of Venom which came out last year. It now also lays claim to the fourth largest opening ever for an R-rated feature.
The Warner Bros. movie, which premiered on more than 22,000 screens, drew in $140.5 million globally. Coupled with the $93.5 million made domestically, the film raked in an impressive $234 million overall.
