Venom 3 Tops Box Office for Third Weekend, Beating New A24 Horror Movie

As a longtime comic book enthusiast and moviegoer who has followed the Venom saga since its inception, I must say that the latest installment, “Venom: The Last Dance,” has been quite the rollercoaster ride. While it’s not exactly setting the world on fire like the first film did back in 2018, it’s holding its own against some rather lackluster competition this season.

For three weekends straight, “Venom: The Last Dance” held the number one spot at the domestic box office, earning $14 million, according to Deadline. This comic book adaptation outperformed two new releases, with the horror movie “Heretic” ($10.5 million) and the holiday dramedy “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” (approximately $10 million) taking second and third place. The animated film “The Wild Robot” ($6 million) and another horror film, “Smile 2” ($4.9 million), completed the top five earnings for the weekend.

The deadline points out that it’s unprecedented for a Venom movie to hold the top spot for three consecutive weekends in a row. It attributes this success primarily to scant competition. Last weekend’s significant premiere, “Here,” directed by Robert Zemeckis, unfortunately turned out to be a huge box office bomb.

Stepping into the cinematic realm in October’s late bloom, I found myself engrossed in the gripping tale of Venom: The Last Dance. Despite its impressive $51 million domestic debut, securing the top spot, the figure marked a franchise low, possibly due to the film’s less-than-favorable reception (a 41% rating on Rotten Tomatoes). As I pen these words, projections estimate the movie will rake in an additional $112.5 million domestically, and a staggering $329.5 million globally. With a modestly high budget of $120 million for a superhero film, this production seems poised to be a lucrative venture for Sony Pictures.

[Related: What’s Going on With Sony’s Spider-Man Universe?]

On the other hand, “Venom: The Last Dance” represents a decrease in profitability for the series. The franchise kicked off impressively back in 2018 with its initial movie earning an impressive $856 million globally. Its sequel, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” was released in 2021, when cinemas were still rebounding from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It had a robust domestic opening of $90 million (higher than the first Venom), eventually amassing a total global income of $506.8 million.

As a devoted moviegoer, I can confidently say that The Last Dance’s reign at the box office is nearing its end. While it might hold onto the number one spot next weekend against Red One, starring Dwayne Johnson who seems not as potent a draw as before, evidenced by Black Adam, it will undoubtedly be overshadowed by Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, set to release on November 22. With a few quiet weeks behind us, the movie market is gearing up for some excitement with major releases during the holiday season, including Wicked and Moana 2. It’s truly remarkable that The Last Dance managed to stay at the top as long as it did, but the upcoming competition is going to be fierce indeed.

It’s intriguing to consider how the box office performance of “The Last Dance” might influence Sony’s plans for the Venom franchise. With three profitable installments, there’s a strong case for more movies given the audience’s past interest. However, lower earnings suggest that viewers might be growing weary of the symbiote. If the series is to persist, it may be wise to mix things up and try something new. The idea of an Agent Venom movie is particularly enticing because it could breathe fresh air into the franchise and potentially set a new direction. Since Sony’s other Marvel movies haven’t made significant waves, unless “Kraven the Hunter” becomes a sensation that fills the gap, they might choose to focus on more Venom films.

2024-11-10 01:39

[Related: What’s Going on With Sony’s Spider-Man Universe?]

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