As a seasoned gamer who has seen countless cinematic universes rise and fall, I must say that Sony’s Spider-Man Universe has been a rollercoaster ride. The Venom movies have undeniably been the high points, offering an adrenaline-pumping experience that keeps me on the edge of my seat. However, this latest installment, Venom: The Last Dance, seems to be dancing around the box office a bit too much for my liking.
Despite a few financial disappointments like S.J. Clarkson’s Madame Web and Daniel Espinosa’s Morbius in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, it’s been the Venom films that have kept the franchise alive. The movies starring Dakota Johnson and Jared Leto struggled to recoup their budgets worldwide, but both Ruben Fleischer’s Venom and Andy Serkis’ Venom: There Be Carnage were blockbusters when they hit theaters in 2018 and 2021 respectively. This success led to high anticipation for Kelly Marcel’s Venom: The Last Dance – the trilogy’s conclusion – as it opened in cinemas.
Surprisingly, it didn’t quite live up to my high expectations. The initial box office figures have been released, and while the latest superhero flick has dethroned Smile 2 from its number one position, its domestic sales are disappointingly lower than what I had anticipated based on its predecessors’ performances. Here’s the Top 10 for your perusal; let’s delve deeper into it together shortly.
Venom: The Last Dance Opening Weekend Ticket Sales Are A Big Step Down From The Last Two Films
In 2021, the release of “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” didn’t get overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, yet it brought a sense of optimism to those tracking broader box office trends amidst the early stages of the movie industry recovering from theater closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The sequel turned out to be an excellent boost – not only raking in $90 million during its opening weekend but also surpassing the earnings of the initial film, which made $80.3 million in its first three days.
As a dedicated gamer, I was hooked on Tom Hardy’s character Eddie Brock and his oozy alien buddy, expecting the climax of their tale to draw in even more gamers like me. But it seems the ticket sales don’t share my enthusiasm for the final chapter of their adventure.
As The Numbers indicate, the film “Venom: The Last Dance” earned approximately $51 million, which is significantly lower than the initial projections of $65 million that were circulated a few days ago. Despite this, the movie didn’t quite capture the same level of domestic excitement as its predecessors. However, on a positive note, it outperformed both “Morbius,” which made $39 million upon release in 2022, and “Madame Web,” which flopped with a debut of only $15.3 million back in February, during its first three days in theaters.
A potential way to rephrase that could be: It seems that the excitement for Venom: The Last Dance isn’t quite at par with the hype surrounding past blockbusters. Data indicates that the opinions of critics and regular viewers have often differed regarding these movies, but it appears there is slightly more agreement on the new installment. Rotten Tomatoes shows Venom 3 having the lowest Audience rating in the trilogy, while CinemaScore surveys gave it a “B-” grade, compared to “B+” grades for both previous films.
Clearly, it won’t provide much assistance since the upcoming comic book film is aiming to expand its popularity over the next few weeks, attempting to compensate for a sluggish beginning.
Although Venom: The Last Dance‘s opening weekend may not have been as successful within U.S. and Canadian theaters, it’s crucial to consider its performance internationally for a more balanced perspective. Contrary to its domestic underperformance, the movie seems to be outshining expectations abroad. While initial forecasts suggested a $65 million domestic take, they predicted an impressive $85 million from foreign markets – a figure that appears to have been on the modest side.
The film is said to have made $51 million domestically, while earning $124 million overseas, totalling $175 million globally so far. Given that its production cost was approximately $120 million (slightly higher than both Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage), it still needs to earn a bit more to turn a profit.
In the upcoming weeks, “Venom: The Last Dance” promises to be an intriguing watch, as there’s not much major competition in early November. However, it needs to avoid a significant drop in its second weekend because late next month is filled with heavy hitters like Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked,” and “Moana 2” by Dana Ledoux Miller, Jason Hand, and David Derrick Jr., which could overshadow it.
Looking ahead, it’ll be intriguing to observe how these box office trends might shape the future of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. So far, the franchise has had a challenging year, but there’s still hope for 2024 as J.C. Chandor’s Kraven The Hunter is yet to be released in December.
Smile 2 Holds Second Place With A Surprisingly Large Drop
In my recent box office analysis, I mentioned that it was anticipated Smile 2 would slide out of the U.S. Top 10 with the arrival of Venom: The Last Dance, leaving only the question of how significantly it would fall. Despite positive buzz from both critics and viewers, the movie’s final performance wasn’t impressive.
Following an impressive $23 million earnings within its first three days, Smile 2 experienced a 59% drop in weekend-to-weekend ticket sales. In the U.S., the movie brought in an additional $9.4 million, resulting in a total domestic revenue of $40.7 million since its release.
It seems unlikely that the box office figures for Smile, released in late September 2022, were what Paramount Pictures had anticipated, considering the successful trajectory of its predecessor. On its opening weekend, it earned $22.6 million, and the subsequent weekend saw a minimal increase of just 18% or $18.5 million.
Since Halloween falls in the middle of the week this year, it might not significantly boost the movie industry. However, it’s intriguing to observe whether Smile 2 will experience an increase in box office sales on Thursday.
In the near future, Robert Zemeckis’ movie titled “Here” is scheduled to hit cinemas as the major new release of the week, following its screening at AFI Fest during the weekend. Don’t forget to revisit TopMob next Sunday to see how it fares in our Top 10 charts, and take a peek at our 2024 Movie Release Calendar for information about all the films slated for release in theaters between now and the end of the year.
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2024-10-27 21:07