Joker was a box office hit, and early signs from the first Joker: Folie à Deux teaser trailer indicate the follow-up might follow suit.

A stylized image of Harley and Joker about to kiss in Joker Folie a Deux

The first teaser trailer for Joker: Folie à Deux was recently released and became the highest-viewed trailer in its first 24 hours for Warner Bros. since the smash hit Barbie. Joker was a runaway hit for DC in 2019, earning over $1 billion at the box office and becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. Joaquin Phoenix won an Oscar for his performance as the titular character and returns for Joker: Folie à Deux alongside Lady Gaga as a completely new take on Harley Quinn.

There’s no way to know if Joker: Folie à Deux will reach the same critical and financial heights as its predecessor, but the movie’s first teaser trailer certainly bodes well. If the musical aspects are well executed like they were in the first movie, Joker: Folie À Deux could become another massive success for DC and Warner Bros. After a string of box office disappointments for DC, this would be huge for the comic giant’s cinematic reputation.

Joker 2’s Trailer Record-Break Bodes Well For Its Box Office

Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) with a forced smile perfectly aligns with a red lipstick-drawn smile on a glass in Joker: Folie à Deux

Adding a heavy-hitter like Lady Gaga as the massively popular Harley Quinn is an inspired move that could pay off well for the sequel.

According to Variety, the Joker: Folie à Deux teaser trailer was viewed 167 million times in its first 24 hours, surpassing the viewership and social-media engagement of the first trailer for Barbie, the highest-grossing movie of last year. This bodes well for the success of Joker: Folie à Deux as marketing ramps up going into its October release. It’s hard to compare such different movies, but with superhero fatigue being a real concern, it’s a great start.

Joker: Folie À Deux is following in the footsteps of a surprising break-out hit. Adding a heavy-hitter like Lady Gaga as the massively popular Harley Quinn is an inspired move that could pay off well for the sequel. Couple that with the record-breaking success of its first Joker: Folie À Deux teaser trailer, and the box office potential for Joker: Folie À Deux is in a good spot. It doesn’t need $1 billion to be a success, but the response so far to the teaser trailer has been promising.

Why Joker 2 Beating Barbie’s Trailer Record Teases Its Potential Massive Success

Arthur Fleck as the Joker (Joaquin Phoenix) smokes a cigarette while enjoying a music performance behind him in Joker: Folie à Deux

Barbie was the biggest hit of 2023 and one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. Joker: Folie à Deux surpassing that film’s first trailer viewership could mean big things for its box office potential. Like the first Joker film, Barbie took the box office by storm in surprising fashion. Joker: Folie à Deux seems to go against the grain of most modern blockbusters in the same way those two films do and should be poised to have a massive opening weekend like Barbie if the trailer viewership could translate to its box office success.

Joker: Folie à Deux is heading in interesting directions as a sequel to a movie that was never really designed to be a franchise at all. The box office success of the first movie was undeniable, though, and it made sense for Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix to come back once more if they had a strong story to tell. If the online reception to the Joker: Folie à Deux teaser trailer is any indication, it has a chance of hitting $1 billion like its predecessor.