As Todd Phillips’ DC film began to screen for critics and festivals, the film started generating tons of negative publicity thanks to its depictions of violence which threatened to overshadow its debut at the box office. Still, analysts remained confident in Joker’s chances to score a big opening and it looks like they were right, as Clown Prince of Crime’s origin pic pulled in a whopping $93.5 million on home turf this weekend earning the record for biggest October opening ever.

The previous record holder was the Tom Hardy-led Venom, which brought in $80.2 last year. And given all the controversy that surrounded Joker, it’s incredible that it was able to not only beat that figure but surpass it by a mile. Then again, controversy usually generates cash and though some of the reviews have been pretty polarizing, Joaquin Phoenix’s tour de force performance as the title character, making him a shoo-in for a Beat Actor nod, might’ve been enough to draw most people in.

Of course, there’s also the fact that Joker is one of the most iconic characters in pop culture and given that it took in another $140.5 million overseas, it’s clear that the villain’s appeal is worldwide. Now, the film sits pretty at $234 million after its first weekend, proving once again that R-rated comic book movies, when done well, could be big moneymakers.

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