Joker tops N American box office for second week

Washington

WARNER Bros' Joker laughed all the way to the box office again last weekend as it took US$55.9 million in North American movie theatres, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said on Monday.

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.

Two weekends ago, the film directed by Todd Phillips - maker of The Hangover trilogy - set a record for an October release, taking in US$93.5 million in its first weekend.

Last weekend, United Artists' family- and Halloween-friendly The Addams Family was placed second, scaring up a total of US$30.3 million in ticket sales for its opening run.

It follows the mysterious and spooky clan as they prepare for a visit from some even creepier relatives.

In third place, at US$20.6 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 the previous week's second, at US$6.1 million.

The animated adventure 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 spot was Focus Features' Downton Abbey at US$4.9 million. The cinematic follow-up to the hit TV series has the aristocratic 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 (US$3.9 million); Judy (US$3.2 million); It: Chapter Two (US$3.1 million); Jexi (US$3.1 million); and Ad Astra (US$1.9 million). AFP