'Joker' tops N. American box office for second week
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, "Joker" provides the backstory for the rise of Batman's maniacal nemesis.
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Warner Bros. "Joker" laughed best again this weekend as it took in an estimated $55 million in North American movie theaters, an industry group reported Sunday.
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, "Joker" provides the backstory for the rise of Batman s maniacal nemesis, painting a dark and disturbing portrayal of a would-be stand-up comedian s descent into madness.
Last week, the film directed by Todd Phillips -- maker of "The Hangover" trilogy -- set a record for an October release, taking in $93.5 million in its first weekend, Exhibitor Relations said.
United Artist s family- and Halloween-friendly "The Addams Family" placed second, scaring up an estimated $30.3 million for its opening weekend.
It follows the mysterious and spooky Addams family as they prepare for a visit from some even creepier relatives.
In third, at an estimated $20.5 million, was Paramount s new film "Gemini Man," which stars Will Smith as a retired hitman who must face off against a younger clone of himself.
"Abominable" from Universal came in fourth, down from last week s second, at an estimated $6.2 million. It tells the story of a teen and her friends trying to help a young Yeti reunite with its family as a wealthy man seeks to capture it as a prize.
And in fifth was Focus Features "Downton Abbey," at $5 million. The cinematic follow-up to the hit TV series has the Crawleys and their earnest staff scrambling to prepare for an unexpected visit by the British royals.
Rounding out the weekend s top 10 were:
"Hustlers" ($3.9 million)
"Judy" ($3.3 million)
"IT: Chapter Two" ($3.2 million)
"Jexi" ($3.1 million)
"Ad Astra" ($1.9 million)
