1. Joker (review)- $93.5M
Nobody dared take on the Clown Prince of Crime this week, as Joker was pretty much the only major new release. The result, despite all of the controversy surrounding it, was a huge $93.5M debut. Joker is an interesting case of a dark, R-rated drama that probably wouldn't have appealed to many people if it weren't connected to the DC Comics superhero Batman, even though the Caped Crusader doesn't actually appear. Of course, Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal, one likely to earn him an Oscar nomination, was a big draw. With all of the fears surrounding the film, I might've thought audiences would stay away but most showings went off without a hitch, and that may encourage others to give it a shot. The $60M-budgeted also earned a whopping $140M overseas for $234M worldwide.
2. Abominable- $12M/$37.8M
Last week's top film, Universal's animated adventure Abominable, fell 41% and earned just $12M. The film centers on a Shanghai girl who journeys to Mt. Everest alongside her Yeti friend, but surprisingly the film has done little in China since opening. We should maybe stop assuming novelties for us are the same elsewhere. Currently, the film has $76M worldwide.
3. Downton Abbey- $8M/$73.6M
4. Hustlers- $6.3M/$91.3M
5. It: Chapter Two- $5.3M/$202.2M
6. Ad Astra- $4.5M/$43.6M
7. Judy- $4.4M/$8.9M
8. Rambo: Last Blood- $3.5M/$39.8M
9. War- $1.5M/$2M
10. Good Boys- $900K/$82M
