Venom 3 Dominates the Box Office, but Trails Behind Predecessors
Venom: The Last Dance has claimed the top spot at the box office for three consecutive weeks, bringing in an additional $16.2 million over the weekend. This achievement surpasses newcomers The Best Christmas Pageant Ever ($11.1 million) and Heretic ($11 million).
Domestic and Global Performance
Domestically, the third installment in Sony's Tom Hardy-fronted Venom series has crossed the $100 million mark, reaching $114.8 million. Globally, the film's total cume stands at $394 million. While it's expected to eventually surpass $400 million, the movie's performance lags behind its predecessors:
- 2018's Venom: $213 million (domestic), $856 million (worldwide)
- 2021's Venom: Let There Be Carnage: $213 million (domestic), $501 million (worldwide)
Comparison to Predecessors
The first Venom film had earned $171 million domestically at the same point in time five years ago, eventually ending its 16-week run with $213.5 million in North American theaters. Venom 2, which opened mid-pandemic in 2021, had amassed $168 million by its third week, finishing just below its predecessor's domestic total with $213.4 million after 17 weeks.
Production Budget and Sony's Global Box Office Rankings
The production budget for Venom 3 is reported to be around $120 million, higher than its predecessors, which were relatively less expensive at $100 million and $110 million, respectively. Sony's eighth-highest-grossing film of all time at the global box office, Venom ranks behind:
- Spider-Man: No Way Home ($1.9 billion)
- Skyfall ($1.14 billion)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home ($1.13 billion)
- Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle ($962 million)
- Spider-Man 3 ($894 million)
- Spectre ($880.6 million)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming ($880.1 million)
Upcoming Releases
Red One, an Amazon MGM Christmas comedy starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans, is expected to take the top spot when it opens on November 15, with a projected opening weekend of $20-40 million. Other notable releases this month include Gladiator II, Wicked, and Disney's animated Moana 2, which is expected to open with a massive $125-135 million over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend.
Rotten Tomatoes Score and Future Prospects
Venom 3 opened to a franchise-low $51 million in October, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 41%, indicating a case of diminishing returns for Sony's Spider-Man Universe. The future of the franchise will be tested with the release of Kraven the Hunter, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the Spider-Man villain, in December.
