First, Joker became the highest-selling rating R movie after beating out Deadpool. Now, the Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix film has broken another record. According to Forbes, Joker is now the most profitable comic book film of all time. Keep in mind that profitable does not mean it made the most money. Joker qualifies as the most profitable because of the difference between the budget for the film and how much it earned.
Joker cost a measly $62.5 million to make, but has grossed $952,201,507 at the box office. That's over 15 times the amount made back on the budget. What is most impressive is that Joker did this without being shown in China. The film is expected to cross over the billion-dollar mark soon. The only two movies in the last 5 years to gross over a billion dollars, that wasn't released by Disney, are Warner Bros.’ Aquaman ($1.148 billion worldwide with $298 million in China) and Sony's Spider-Man: Far from Home ($1.131 billion with $199 million in China). Unlike those films though, Joker will earn its $1 billion gross without China or a 3D version to boost sales. When it passes The Dark Knight ($1.004 billion worldwide in 2008), Joker be the highest-grossing movie ever to not play in China