MovieChat Forums > Joker (2019) Discussion > Highest-grossing R-rated film in history

Highest-grossing R-rated film in history

posted 4 years ago by PrimeMinisterX (8290)
15 replies | jump to latest

Cha-ching!

https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2019/10/25/joker-box-office-oscars-r-rated-dc-films-joaquin-phoenix-warner-bros-venom-logan-deadpool/

This is not adjusted for inflation of course.

It would be interesting to know how the box office results would be different if it were, say, Michael Fassbender in the lead role instead of Joaquin.

It would also be very interesting to know how well the film would've done if it had essentially been the same movie but had not been called Joker and had no connection to the DC universe.

[–] alienzen (1929) 4 years ago

It most likely wouldn't have broken 100m if it had no connection with The Joker or DC.

[–] TheNewResistance (62) 4 years ago

If it wasn't connected to the Joker or DC, it wouldn't be a movie. Dumb-ass argument.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8290) 4 years ago

What do you mean exactly?

This film could easily be made without any connection to the Joker character. And considering the budget was only $50 million, it's certainly not inconceivable that a studio would've greenlit it with Phoenix on board.

[–] alienzen (1929) 4 years ago

You could have made exactly the same movie, without the mention of Joker and changed Wayne to another name. It would have worked fine as a movie.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

Only globally, for North America it still has to get to $370 million to get past Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ from 2004 ($543,911,111 inflation adjusted).

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/25/media/joker-r-rated-box-office-record/index.html

The film may be the highest-grossing R-rated film globally, but it still has a long way to before beating the highest-grossing R-rated film domestically. That record still belongs to Mel Gibson's biblical drama "The Passion of the Christ," which made $370 million in North America in 2004. "Joker" has so far made $259 million in the US.

Though R-Rated globally isn't strictly correct either as like here in Australia it's MA15+ so you can be 15 and go see it as opposed to 17, same in a few other countries as well for instance like Canada where it's 14+ and 13+ (Quebec).

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8290) 4 years ago

I don't think there's any need to take into account other country's ratings. Obviously we are talking about films that are rated R by the MPAA.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

Yeah probably not, however with those figures being globally and not US local thought it worth considering due to younger ages being able to legally go. All up though I won't be surprised to see it pass Passion of The Christ as at $370 million in North America as that's over a year where as Joker is thus far over 3 weeks and $259 million is really not that far off given the time-frame. Even with the inflation adjusted figures for local, Joker is still only 285 mill off that and really that's say 10 weeks of 29 mill box offices, and given it will play out in smaller arthouse type cinemas for at least the next 6 months, it could easily get there.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8290) 4 years ago

It may beat The Passion's non-adjusted domestic gross. I don't think it has any hope of beating its adjusted gross. Mel had a real winner on his hands with that film, and no one predicted it.

But I guess we'll see how things go. I'm happy for Jouquin's and Phillips' and Warner's/DC's success; I only wish I liked the film more.

[–] AdamS (336) 4 years ago

It couldn't have been otherwise.
'Joker' took the character of 'the Joker' and made it realistic-ish.
Without 'the Joker', 'Joker' couldn't exist.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8290) 4 years ago

Call it Mysterio instead of Joker, place it in New York instead of Gotham, change the name of the Waynes and Arkham Asylum, and change his face paint to avoid any legal issues, and substantively the movie is no different.

Even Phillips said his pitch to Joaquin was to "make a real movie" under the guise of a comic book film. The movie really has very little to do with the Joker character as we know him.

[–] Ace_Spade (9343) 4 years ago

I don't think it would be raking in the cash if it weren't connected, but I think that's because the higher profile made it almost market itself.

I think people would still be blown away by Phoenix's performance. Ironically, it might be getting better reviews because it would be seen on its own merits.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

If we remove the name 'joker', 'gotham', 'wayne' and made it about a struggling standup comedian who kills people, it would still be well regarded but mainstream audiences wouldn't have watched it.

As for Michael Fassbender, I don't think he could have brought the same vulnerability to the role. He's a big guy, not the type to get bashed by teenagers.

He'd probably still do an amazing job but I think Joaquin brought some lightness and comedy to the role with his dancing that I don't see Fassbender doing.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8290) 4 years ago

I think I would've actually enjoyed it more if it had not been connected to the Joker character, because I kept thinking that at least by the third act he'd resemble the character we've come to know and he would do some real Joker shit. But no, not really, the film never gets there. Arthur never does fully transform into the Joker as we know him.

If they had not made it a Joker movie, I would've been released from those expectations and would have had a better time with less disappointment.

But of course you're right that it would've made a lot less money.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

He only becomes Joker when he kills Murray, because he decided not to be a victim, but a victor. He even did a small dance after killing Murray.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8290) 4 years ago

I wanted more. By the third act of the film, I wanted him to have henchmen who were clearly under his control--not just a bunch of guys he didn't know who were inspired by him--and I wanted him to execute some big criminal mastermind shit. Or at the very least lead a reign of terror through the streets of Gotham for half an hour.