- Terrifier 3 could further upset Joker: Folie À Deux box office
- Indies Vs Hollywood to face off for ticket sales
- Joaquin Phoenix sequel continues to struggle
Another killer clown is threatening to dethrone Joker 2 AKA Joker: Folie À Deux at the box office, continuing a downward trend for the Joaquin Phoenix sequel.
Set to hit cinemas on Friday 11 October, director Damien Leone’s bloody threequel Terrifier 3 is gearing up to earn at least $11 milllion in tickets during its opening weekend although experts believe it could earn more.
If that happens – and director Todd Phillips’ DC sequel endures a 70% drop off in ticket sales – outlets like Deadline have suggested this big-budget Hollywood release could be knocked off of the top spot by what is effectively an indie sequel.
By comparison, Joker: Folie À Deux had a budget of around $200 million while the budget for Leone’s Terrifier 3 is believed to be approximately $2 million.
Will Art The Clown beat Arthur Fleck?
To make this prediction, Deadline looked at a range of factors, specifically at how Joker 2 is tracking compared to other superhero movies that have experienced similarly difficult debuts.
For example, they cite the fact that Disney and Marvel’s The Marvels dropped by 78% in box office returns durirng its second week of release in November 2024. That film banked around $46.1 million on its opening weekend and also had a better CinemaScore than Joker: Folie à Deux.
CinemaScores are used by studios to gauge an audience’s enjoyment of a movie after a preview screening. The Marvels earned a B rating while Joker 2 scored a D, the lowest ranking on their scoreboard.
If Joker takes a 70% tumble it would mean a £11.2 million box office return but if it tracks alongside The Marvels, this could be even lower, making the route to success easier for Leone’s Terrifier 3.
Terrifier 3 audience reactions
Leone’s Terrifier movies first debuted in 2016 although it wasn’t until 2022’s Terrified 2 that the franchise kicked up a gear, becoming a viral sensation thanks to its excessive and prolonged scenes of extreme gore.
At its core is series mascot Art the Clown – a demonic-looking, blood-and-guts-loving character played by actor David Howard Thornton.
Thornton is set to return for Terrifier 3 and if early preview screenings are to be believed, Art’s latest outing is his most extreme yet, prompting audience members in the UK to walk out mid-film.
