Venom: The Last Dance slithered its way to $8.5 million in Thursday night previews at the domestic box office.
The movie is looking to score the lowest opening of the three film in the franchise, at least domestically.
The film has earned $35.8 million worldwide through Thursday, including $8.5 million from Thursday’s U.S./Canada early shows, which started at 2 p.m. at 3,452 locations.
In North America, the first Venom opened to $80.2 million in 2018, then a record for October.
Focus Features, which is releasing the Oscar contender domestically, is reporting $500,000 in previews, in line with expectations for an adult-skewing pic.
At the domestic box office, Venom: The Last Dance slithered its way to $8.5 million in Thursday night previews.
At least domestically, the film aims to have the lowest opening of the three films in the franchise. It’s a different story on a global scale. According to early returns, Last Dance is expected to debut with a global budget of $180 million, which is 5% more than Venom: Let There Be Carnage’s $171.06 million global debut in 2021.
As of Thursday, the movie has made $35.8 million worldwide, including $8.5 million from Thursday’s U.S. S. . /Canada early shows, which began at 2:00 p.m. m. through 3,452 sites.
With an opening day of $9.4 million in China on Wednesday, the movie had the largest opening day for a comic book movie since Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019. China has contributed $14.07 million to it so far.
A record for October was set in 2018 when the first Venom opened to $80.02 million in North America. One year later, it lost the crown to Joker ($96.02 million). With a $90 million opening in October 2021, the second installment, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, was a huge victory for Sony and a blessing for theater owners still recuperating from the pandemic.
Joker: Foile à Deux flamed out with a $37 million debut after the sequel’s historic D CinemaScore, so Venom: The Last Dance should have no trouble securing the biggest October 2024 opening to date.
In the case of Venom, it’s not uncommon for threequels to fall off in the U. S. However, Sony is sure that the third performance will be the best of the bunch for fanboys, which will contribute to higher-than-expected ticket sales. The movie reportedly had a $120 million pre-marketing budget.
The most recent installment of the series received a 37 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating that it has never been well received by critics.
Starring Tom Hardy, who reprises his role as the title character, Venom 3 is directed by Kelly Marcel. Longtime collaborator Marcel, who directs the film for the first time, co-wrote the script with Hardy.
This weekend, Edward Berger’s highly regarded Oscar contender Conclave, a thriller set in the Vatican and centered on the election of a new pope, is the other new nationwide release. Isabella Rossellini, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and Ralph Fiennes are among the all-star cast members of the film, which is produced and funded by FilmNation and Indian Paintbrush.
As expected for an adult-oriented film, Focus Features, the company releasing the Oscar contender domestically, reports $500,000 in previews.
