The clown prince of crime is set to take over the box office.

Early box office tracking for DC and Warner Bros. Joker sees the film earning over $80 million at the domestic box office. Some executives however feel that this number is too high, tracking the film at a more conservative $50-$55 million opening.

That being said, even if Joker opens at that number, it would still be considered a success stateside. The film has a budget of $55 million, significantly lower than most comic book movies that are released. Similar to Deadpool and Logan, Joker operates under a more unconventional tone, with a story that is not meant to attract the mass audiences. It is a violent character-study of a man disregarded by society.

The film first debuted at this year’s Venice Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion, the festival’s top prize. Before hitting theatres, it has made its way to the Toronto International Film Festival, where audiences (while slightly more reserved) continued to shower Todd Phillips’ grimy tale with more praise.

Starring Joaquin Phoenix as The Joker, the film acts as an origin story for Batman’s archenemy, and is set in 1981. Joker follows Arthur Fleck, a failed stand-up comedian who turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City.

For more coverage from the Toronto International Film Festival, keep it locked on Talkies Network!