The movie has broken box office records worldwide since its release last month.
Joker, based on the comic book character of the same name, became the most commercially successful 15-rated film of all time in the UK, passing The Full Monty, which was released in 1997.
The film also broke records as it reached $1billion in total global ticket sales last weekend; the first R-rated movie to achieve this feat. The R-rating is a US age-rating for films, decided by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) film rating system meaning that anyone under the age of 17 watching the film at the cinema must be accompanied by an adult.
The lowered age rating is seen to be a big reason for its success in the UK. The film made £54.3 million across the UK and was the biggest international market for the film outside of the US. The film spent the past six weeks at the top of the UK box office chart, the first film to do so since the release of Avatar in 2009.
Joker is the seventh film to have hit a billion dollars worldwide in 2019 and is the first not to have been a sequel or remake produced by Disney. The other films to have hit a billion dollars in order of worldwide box office sales are Avengers:Endgame, The Lion King, Spider-Man:Far From Home, Captain Marvel, Toy Story 4 and Aladdin.
This news comes only weeks after the film was deemed the most profitable comic book adaptation of all time, as its budget was only $55-70 million, far less than the average comic book movie. Joker made $115 million less than the Marvel Spiderman sequel Far From Home yet cost $100 million less to make and is yet to finish its time in cinemas. Joker is yet to be released in China, despite already amassing such a large box office revenue.
Despite worldwide box-office success, the film has divided viewers and critics alike. In particular, the film’s comments towards society and mental illness have proved controversial, with some praising it for its statement on mental health, while others worry about Joker‘s dark portrayal of the homicidal protagonist.