It’s official: Joker is now the highest-grossing rated-R movie of all-time (when not adjusted for inflation). The Batman spin-off, directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix, Zazie Beetz, Robert De Niro, and Marc “Grown Male Nerdchilds” Maron, has now earned $785.5 million worldwide — nearly 66 percent of the total gross is international; 34 percent is domestic — which is more the previous 17-and-above record-holders, Deadpool 2 ($785,046,920) and Deadpool ($783,112,979 million).
To both celebrate and mock the occasion, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds uploaded an image of Arthur Fleck at the top of those now-ubiquitous Bronx stairs with a caption that reads, “You mother f*cker.” It also shows all the characters and movies Joker passed on the way to the top: Deadpool (Deadpool and Deadpool 2, which is technically that high because of the PG-13 cut and maybe shouldn’t count, but I digress), Neo (The Matrix Reloaded), Pennywise (It), Jesus (The Passion of the Christ), Hugh Jackman (Logan), the Wolfpack (The Hangover Part II), Mr. Grey (Fifty Shades of Grey), and Ted (Ted).
It’s all the greats, from the Joker to Jesus to, uh, Ted.
Joker is rated R for “strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language, and brief sexual images,” while the Motion Picture Association of America went easier (fewer commas) on Deadpool (“strong violence and language throughout, sexual content, and graphic nudity”) and Deadpool 2 (“strong violence and language throughout, sexual references, and brief drug material”). My personal favorite rating description remains “quirky situations, action, and mild language” for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Which is to say, it’s a Tim Burton movie.
(Via Instagram)
