Venom: The Last Dance, directed by Kelly Marcel and starring Tom Hardy, premiered in US theaters on October 25, 2024, opening below projections. The film has a 37% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it performed well in international markets, especially in China, achieving the highest superhero opening there since 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home. In contrast, the weak domestic performance suggests potential box-office fatigue for Sony’s Venom franchise in North America.
Venom: The Last Dance conquers global box office, but underperforms domestically
Sony’s Venom: The Last Dance saw contrasting results in its opening weekend, achieving a solid global box office of $175 million but underperforming in the United States (via The Hollywood Reporter).
Domestically, the movie earned $51 million, falling short of the $65 million projection. This was significantly less than its predecessors, Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which opened with $80 million and $90 million, respectively. However, international markets helped boost the film’s overall earnings, especially with a strong debut in China.
Overseas audiences contributed $124 million from 64 international markets, ranking it as the third-largest Hollywood release internationally in 2024, after Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine. The film earned $46 million in China, achieving the biggest Hollywood opening in the country for 2024. This also marked the highest superhero debut in China since Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019.
The performance in China reflects the continued international reach of the Venom franchise, contrasting with lower domestic interest influenced by competition, including the ongoing World Series. Sony’s investment in The Last Dance, produced on a budget of around $120 million, has found support in global markets.
The overseas results align with Sony’s planned expansions for the Venom universe. Industry analysts note that factors like comic book fatigue and seasonal events, such as Halloween, likely impacted domestic performance, while the strong international showing highlights the franchise’s resilience abroad.
