This weekend signifies the conclusion of Sony’s Venom series, ending Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Eddie Brock as a quirky character known for engaging in slapstick humor. This portrayal has both amused and irritated audiences since 2018. Venom: The Last Dance was marketed as a final journey for this duo before a potential new take on Eddie or a completely different character assumes the alien symbiote. The audience reaction to this release has been tepid.
According to a report by the Hollywood Reporter, the third installment in the series is projected to earn $51 million domestically, which falls short of the initial forecast of $65 million set before the film’s release. The original Venom film debuted with $80.2 million in North America in 2018, setting an October record, while the 2021 sequel, Let There Be Carnage, opened with $90 million during the pandemic. International audiences have shown strong support, with the film anticipated to accumulate $124 million, contributing to a global earnings estimate of $175 million.
Despite its negative reviews and mixed word-of-mouth, Last Dance secured the top position for its opening weekend, overtaking Smile 2, which now occupies second place. The horror sequel added $10.3 million domestically and $12.5 million internationally, reaching a global total of approximately $83.7 million. Moreover, Variety reports that Terrifier 3 is set to collect an additional $4.5 million, ending the weekend with a total of $44 million, effectively tripling the combined earnings of its predecessors.
Venom faces no major competition the following weekend in the genre market. However, the second week sees the release of A24’s religious horror film Heretic and the post-apocalyptic Elevation on November 8. Subsequent weekend releases include the action Christmas movie Red One on November 15, Gladiator II and Wicked: Part I on November 22, and Moana 2 on November 27.