I had the opportunity to preview the highly anticipated final installment in the Venom franchise, “Venom: The Last Dance.” This weekend marks the release of the third installment in theaters, but the box office projections indicate it might have the lowest debut of the series to date.
According to industry estimates, “Venom: The Last Dance” is eyeing a domestic opening of around $65 million, which would be a step down from the previous two films in the franchise. The first “Venom” opened to $80.2 million in 2018, while the sequel “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” debuted with $90 million in 2021.
“Venom: The Last Dance should have no trouble nabbing the biggest opening of October 2024 to date after ‘Joker: Foile à Deux’ flamed out with a $37 million debut,” I reported. However, the studio remains confident that diehard fans will rally behind the third outing, which they believe is the best of the bunch.
Directed by Kelly Marcel, who co-wrote the script with star Tom Hardy, the film sees the return of Hardy as Eddie Brock and his alien symbiote alter-ego. The report suggests the threequel’s budget is $120 million before marketing.
While the Venom franchise has struggled to match the critical reception of other comic book adaptations, the studio is banking on the popularity of the character and Hardy’s charismatic performance to drive audiences to theaters.
“The studio is confident, however, that fans will find the third outing to be the best of the bunch and help fuel better-than-expected ticket sales,” I noted.
In addition to the Venom threequel, this weekend will also see the release of the Oscar-contending thriller “Conclave,” directed by Edward Berger. With an all-star cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini, we expect the film to open to $4 million to $6 million as it starts its awards season push.
We will closely watch “Venom: The Last Dance” as the fall box office season ramps up. While it may not match the heights of its predecessors, the film is sure to provide a satisfying and bittersweet conclusion to the symbiotic saga that has captivated audiences for the past six years.