Box Office: ‘Terrifier 3’ Scares Off Fast-Dropping ‘Joker: Folie a Deux’ With $8.2 Million on Friday

Audiences are apparently ready for a different kind of clown as “Terrifier 3” is scaring off the second week of “Joker: Folie a Deux” at the weekend box office. Gorefest “Terrifier 3” is took in $8.2 million on Friday, including a meaty $2.4 million in Thursday previews, heading for a weekend that could be upwards of $17 million.

“Terrifier 3” is playing in 2514 locations through distributor Cineverse, headed by Chris McGurk. The gory threequel is stoking controversy for its violence, and in a stroke of good old-fashioned horror-movie showmanship, the film has launched a hotline for people who want to complain about the carnage.

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Meanwhile, family animated tale “The Wild Robot,” in week 3, and the sixth weekend of Warner Bros.’ “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” with $1.95 million on Friday, are both seeing more action than “Joker: Folie a Deux,” which plunged more than 80% to $2.2 million on Friday.

The Warner Bros. sequel, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, is estimated to make somewhat under $7 million for the weekend, for a $46.7 million cume. DreamWorks Animation/Universal’s “The Wild Robot” brought in $3.8 million on Friday, heading for a possible $13.8 million weekend.

Following close behind “Joker” were the first weekend for Pharrell’s Lego biography “Piece by Piece,” starting out with $1.5 million on Friday and “Saturday Night,” with $1.3 million on Friday. Focus Features noted that “Piece by Piece” received an A CinemaScore and is heading for an estimated $3.5 million opening weekend. In its fourth week, Paramount’s “Transformers One” brought in $1 million on Friday, for an estimated $4.16 million weekend.

Ticket sales for the “Joker” sequel’s second weekend were projected to be at least in the double digits, so the massive decline was larger even the more pessimistic estimates. “Joker: Folie a Deux” opened last weekend with a lackluster $37.6 million after poor reviews and unenthusiastic word-of-mouth.

In an expanded 2309 locations, “Saturday Night” is poised to bring in more than $3.7 million for the weekend and a $4.45 or more total domestic gross.