This past weekend at the box office was a surprising one, with the low-budget horror film "Terrifier 3" taking the top spot with $18.3 million in ticket sales. The film, a sequel to 2022's "Terrifier 2," features the murderous Art the Clown wreaking havoc at a Christmas party. The unexpected success of "Terrifier 3" was largely due to the underperformance of "Joker: Folie à Deux," which saw an 81% drop in its second weekend, bringing in just $7.1 million.
The superhero film sequel, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, failed to meet expectations and has only collected $165.3 million globally against its $200 million production budget. This sharp decline in box office numbers for a sequel to a billion-dollar hit like 2019's "Joker" is unusual and has raised questions about audience reception.
Other films in the lineup, such as "The Wild Robot" and "Piece by Piece," also had modest showings at the box office. The animated movie "The Wild Robot" took second place with $13.4 million, while the Pharrell Williams documentary-biopic hybrid "Piece by Piece" opened with $3.8 million and earned an "A" CinemaScore from audiences.
Despite the variety of films available, including a Donald Trump origin story and a Lego documentary, it was clear that horror was the genre that resonated with audiences this weekend. The overall box office numbers were down 45% compared to the same time last year, indicating a slower start to the fall season for Hollywood.
In the ever-changing landscape of the film industry, it is evident that audience preferences ultimately determine the success of a movie at the box office. The unexpected triumph of "Terrifier 3" serves as a reminder that predicting box office outcomes can be a challenging task for both studios and analysts.