Venom 3 Dances to a Decent Opening Weekend With Overseas Help


This weekend marks the end of an era and closes out the story of Sony’s Venom. Since 2018, Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock has been a weirdo doing goofy-ass slapstick in ways that have upset some but delighted others, and Venom: The Last Dance promised to be a last ride of some kind for the duo before another iteration of Eddie (or another character entirely) puts on the alien skin suit. And audiences have responded to it with a bit of an “ehhhhhh…”

Per the Hollywood Reporter, the gooey threequel is looking at $51 million domestic box office at time of writing, well below the initial $65 projections placed upon it pre-release. For comparison, the first movie started at $80.2 million in North America (a then-record for October movies in 2018), and 2021’s Let There Be Carnage began at $90 million, impressive back then because of the pandemic. The international audience has come in clutchit’s apparently doing very well outside North America, and expected to pull in $124 million for a reported global total of $175 million.

Last Dance opened to negative reviews and spotty word of mouth, and it probably doesn’t help some folks are getting their Halloween party on. Still, it took the top spot for the weekend, happily knocking Smile 2 down to second place; the horror sequel made another $10.3 million domestically and $12.5 million overseas, bringing its global total to $83.7 million. And speaking of sequels to scary movies, Variety reports Terrifier 3 is pegged to make another $4.5 million and end the weekend at $44 million, triple the combined grosses of its predecessors.

Venom basically has next weekend all to himself, as far as big genre movies are concerned. Things truly kick in on week two with A24’s religious horror flick Heretic and the post-apocalyptic flick Elevation on November 8. The following weekends see the action Christmas flick Red One (November 15), Gladiator II and Wicked: Part I (November 22), and Moana 2 (November 27).

Got thoughts on Venom: The Last Dance? Let us know in the comments below.

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Tell Us Your Thoughts on Furiosa


Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa in the titular 2024 film.

Image: Warner Bros.

Nearly 10 years ago, George Miller brought the Mad Max franchise blasting back to relevance with Fury Road. The film wasn’t just well-liked, it was basically a game changer for plenty of moviegoers and delivered them something they’d never really seen at the time. And of the many things to love about Fury Road, people fell greatly in love with Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa, who is more of the film’s true protagonist than Tom Hardy’s Max.

When Miller revealed he was following up Fury Road with a prequel focused on Furiosa, eyebrows were definitely raised, particularly when Anya Taylor-Joy was cast as a young version of the character. Then we got to see Furiosa’s first trailer, and it instantly became clear Miller was about to cook yet again. Now that it’s out, people have gotten to experience what’s been said in the weeks since its premiere at Cannes: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is the real deal, and a more than welcome return to mad, mad car-heavy wasteland.

While not quite the revelation that Fury Road was, or at least not in the same way, critics and audiences have been fairly high on Furiosa. Amid criticisms of the pacing and visuals, those who like it really like it, particularly its cast and 15-year scope that makes it feel like the post-apocalyptic epic it’s been marketed as. With the summer movie season in full swing, this film will probably end up as the highlight for many once all is said and done.

If you saw Furiosa, let us know what you thought about it. Did it live up to whatever expectations you had, and wht do you want out of Miller and Mad Max next? Tell us in the comments below.


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