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New York (CNN Business) - The movie "Joker" broke box office records this weekend, even when its controversial representation of violence made some potential viewers anxious.
Warner Bros. production on the origins of the crazed enemy of Batman generated an estimated $ 93.5 million box office in North America this weekend. That makes "Joker" the highest grossing opening in October's history. The film broke the “Venom” record of Sony Pictures, which earned $ 80 million last October.
"Joker" is the biggest opening of Warner Bros. this year, as well as one of the biggest openings for a movie rated R. He earned $ 234 million worldwide.
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The film, which comes from the lucrative brand DC Entertainment, by Warner Bros., has been one of the most talked about movies of the year. It stars Joaquin Phoenix as Joker, a troubled man who becomes a murderer.
The indiscriminate violence of the murderous clown has made critics and authorities nervous.
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security warned law enforcement before the movie premiere Thursday night about a series of threats to viewers that were posted online. Some of the threats demanded mass shootings in the "Joker" presentations. Warner Bros., who like CNN is owned by WarnerMedia, has said that the film is not "an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind."
Joker scene, movie starring Joaquin Phoenix.
"Warner Bros. believes that one of the functions of storytelling is to provoke difficult conversations about complex issues," a study statement said last month. "It is not the intention of the film, the filmmakers or the studio to present this character as a hero."
The violent reaction against "Joker" did not prevent the public from going to theaters in record numbers to see it.
"I think the controversy helped him this weekend," said Paul Dergarabedian, media analyst at Comscore. “It became a cultural phenomenon. The whole conversation about the movie made it an unmissable event. ”
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The film, which has a 69% score on the Rotten Tomatoes review site, has received some critical acclaim. He won the first prize of the Venice Film Festival and critics praised the performance of Joaquin Phoenix, which has led to discussions about possible Oscar nominees. The reaction of the public was mostly positive with the film obtaining a Cinemascore of B +.
The record box office performance of “Joker” is great news for Hollywood, which could launch more successes as the year progresses.
The national box office has decreased by approximately 5% compared to last year, but there are still many potential blockbusters on the calendar. In addition to "Joker", movies like "Frozen 2", "Jumanji: The Next Level", "Cats" and the final chapter of the Skywalker saga, "Star Wars: The Rise of the Skywalker", will be released in the coming months .
Joaquin PhoenixJokerFilms
