Just three weeks ago, tracking services pegged the movie for a $70 million debut, which would still have been down a fair amount from “Joker’s” record-breaking $96.2 million launch in Oct. 2019. Reviews were mixed out of the Venice Film Festival, where it premiered in competition like the first movie and even got a 12-minute standing ovation.

“ Joker: Folie à Deux ” debuted to an estimated $81.1 million this weekend to top the international box office. The film, which is a follow-up to 2019’s “Joker,” earned a disappointing $40 million domestically. Globally, the off-beat comic book film has earned $121.1 million.