“Joker” debuted across the country this last weekend, setting new box office records for rated-R films despite the controversy leading up to the film’s release.
But moviegoers and critics warn that “Joker” includes a song from convicted pedophile Gary Glitter who will now earn royalties of the movie, CNBC reports.
What happened: Glitter’s 1972 hit “Rock and Roll Part 2” — a song commonly played at sporting events — plays during a scene in which Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck turns into the Joker. The song picks up as Joker dances as he descends a long staircase. The song plays for about two minutes.
- “Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, is reportedly expected to receive a lump sum for allowing the recording to be used” in the film, CNBC reports. “He is also thought to be in line for music royalties depending on the success of movie theater ticket sales, DVD sales and film soundtrack sales.”
- Glitter was convicted in 1999 “for downloading thousands of images of child pornography, and was deported from Cambodia in 2002 on suspicion of child sexual abuse. He was jailed in Vietnam in 2006 for molesting two girls, and on his return to the UK was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life,” according to Yahoo Entertainment.
Yes, but: Ray Bush, managing director of The Music Royalty Co., told Yahoo Entertainment that it’s unlikely he’ll receive royalties.
- “Artists are usually paid a one-off ‘synchronisation fee’ when their songs are used on movie soundtracks,” he said. “It can range from £500 for smaller acts up to £250,000-£500,000, depending on the artist and the importance to the narrative of the film. There are many middlemen involved, including the record label, Glitter’s agent and sometimes a ‘synchronisation’ agent, with artists sometimes only receiving a measly amount from the deal.”
Box office: “Joker” earned $93.5 million over the weekend, which is the highest debut for an October film in history, according to Variety. The film earned $234 million internationally over the weekend, too.