Tom Hardy says goodbye to his role as a Marvel villain in „Venom: The Last Dance“. Unfortunately, the box office success of the previous two films does not seem to be repeating itself. The first movie, „Venom,“ made an impressive $856 million worldwide in the fall of 2018. On the first weekend in the US and Canada, the film with Tom Hardy in the lead role earned over $80 million. The second installment, „Venom: Let There Be Carnage,“ in 2021 had an even better opening with $90 million in the US, although the total global sum was $507 million in the end.
Now, how does the third and final part perform? „Venom: The Last Dance“ had a disappointing box office debut with only $51 million on its first weekend. Expectations were around $65 million, much lower than the previous films, but the reality fell even further below. This result is particularly bitter considering the production costs of $120 million for the third part were likely the highest in the franchise.
Compared to DC’s „Joker: Folie à Deux,“ which earned only around $38 million on its opening weekend with a budget of $200 million, the disappointment of „Venom“ is somewhat softened. Additionally, „Venom: The Last Dance“ has a second chance to redeem itself.
Despite its underwhelming performance in the US, the international market is showing promise for the new film. It has collected $124 million overseas, bringing the global total to $175 million. China contributed significantly with $14 million. Surprisingly, in Germany, the third „Venom“ film attracted more viewers in its opening weekend than the previous two films. 327,500 people attended this time compared to 310,000 in 2018 and 291,000 in 2021.
The success of the Sony production moving forward may depend on word of mouth and critical reviews. The audience in the US gave it a B- on CinemaScore, which is not a great rating. Rotten Tomatoes also gave it a low score of 37%. Our editor, Adam, was also disappointed with „Venom: The Last Dance.“
It will be interesting to see how „Venom: The Last Dance“ performs in the coming weeks and if it can pick up momentum despite its lackluster start at the box office. Fans of the franchise and movie buffs alike will be keeping a close eye on its progress.