JOKER LAUGHING ALL WAY TO BANK WITH $96M DEBUT

Director Todd Phillips owns two of the biggest R-rated openings ever. Over the weekend, his Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix in the title role, grossed $96 million in its domestic debut, Variety reported Monday — the fourth best North American opening ever for an R-rated film, not accounting for inflation. Phillips also directed 2011’s The Hangover: Part II, which opened to $89.5 million — still the biggest debut ever for an R-rated comedy. Six of the eight biggest R-rated openings ever belong to superhero or horror films (also not accounting for inflation). Joker also had the biggest October opening ever, topping last year’s Spider-verse movie Venom. Warner Bros./DC’s Joker travelled well, grossing more than $140 million overseas, according to Box Office Mojo.