Warner Bros. and DC Films’ Joker has proven to be a huge success at the Venice Film Festival, the Joaquin Phoenix-headlined comic book adaptation having received an eight-minute standing ovation at its premiere before being named the recipient of the festival’s top prize, the Golden Lion, by the jury yesterday.

Last month it was reported that the Todd Phillips-helmed film was heading for a domestic opening in the region of $60 million, but as the buzz continues to build for the movie, tracking site Box Office Pro is now suggesting that Joker is on course for a record breaking October bow.

According to the site, Joker is now looking at a potential domestic opening north of $100 million, which would shatter the $80.3 million record for October set by Venom last year, and give it one of the top five biggest ever openings of all time for an R-rated movie (the record is currently held by Deadpool on $132 million).

Given that Joker has been produced on a budget of just $55 million, it looks like Warner and DC have a solid financial hit on their hands – and given its Golden Lion success, the studios must be quietly confident that the Clown Prince of Crime has a good shot at making an impression during the awards season.

via Flickering Myth