The success also heightens the possibility of a sequel, after director Todd Phillips hinted that a Joker follow-up could be on the cards.

“One thing I will tell you: I would do anything with [Phoenix], any day of the week,” he explained to Total Film. “There’s nobody like him.”

NME gave Joker five stars in a recent review, describing it as “an instant classic that sees Joaquin Phoenix translate a discombobulating sensation from the screen to your senses, while director Todd Phillips creates a melancholic psychodrama punctuated by splashes of shocking violence.”