“‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Holds Strong at Box Office While Tom Hanks Film Struggles
For a second consecutive weekend, “Venom: The Last Dance” dominated the box office, proving its continued popularity with audiences. The Sony release, starring Tom Hardy, added another $26.1 million to its domestic earnings, reaching over $90 million in just two weeks. Globally, the movie has already surpassed $300 million, solidifying its success despite a modest domestic opening compared to previous films in the franchise.
It was a relatively calm weekend at North American theaters, where several major studio holdovers continued to attract audiences. Alongside “Venom 3,” other successful releases included “The Wild Robot” and “Smile 2,” which maintained strong positions at the box office. However, the much-anticipated reunion of Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, and director Robert Zemeckis in the new film “Here” struggled to make an impact. Despite nostalgia for their collaboration in “Forrest Gump,” “Here” opened to just $5 million across 2,647 locations. Adapted from a graphic novel, the time-hopping film follows the story of a single room across many years, yet its experimental style received mixed reviews from critics, with only a 36% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Unlike most superhero films, “Venom 3” enjoyed a smaller-than-usual 49% drop in its second weekend, which analysts see as a positive sign for its staying power. Sony’s unique approach with the Venom series, which combines elements of horror and comedy, has continued to resonate with fans. In contrast, “Here” appeared to miss the mark with its audience. As Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, noted, “It was a slow weekend anyway, but it didn’t resonate in a way that many thought it might. There are a lot of films out there for the audience that ‘Here’ was chasing.”
Meanwhile, Universal and Illumination’s animated film “The Wild Robot” has become a sleeper hit, pulling in $7.6 million this weekend. Incredibly, this is an 11% increase from last week, bringing its total domestic earnings to over $121 million and nearly $270 million globally. Dergarabedian praised its performance, saying, “‘The Wild Robot’ has quietly been this absolute juggernaut for the fall season.” Audiences seem charmed by the film’s heartwarming story and appealing animation, making it a favorite among families and younger viewers.
“Smile 2” took third place, earning $6.8 million this weekend and pushing its global total to an impressive $109.7 million. The horror sequel continues to attract audiences, benefiting from the genre’s loyal fan base and Halloween season appeal.
Other films making a mark include “Conclave,” a thriller from Focus Features about Vatican politics, which earned $5.3 million, outperforming “Here” despite playing in fewer locations. Two Indian films, “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3” and “Singham Again,” also had impressive debuts, each bringing in over $2 million and cracking the top 10, a testament to Bollywood’s growing appeal in North American markets.
In limited release, Jesse Eisenberg’s film “A Real Pain” performed well, earning an estimated $240,000 from just four theaters in New York and Los Angeles. With a per-theater average of $60,000, it ranks among the top three highest per-screen averages of the year. Searchlight Pictures plans to expand the film nationwide on Nov. 15, hoping to capitalize on strong early reviews.
Interestingly, several prominent titles in theaters, including Clint Eastwood’s “Juror #2,” Steve McQueen’s “Blitz,” and Cannes favorite “Emilia Pérez,” did not report full box office grosses this weekend. In particular, “Juror #2,” starring Nicholas Hoult as a conflicted juror, earned $5 million internationally, but Warner Bros. withheld domestic figures.
Box office transparency has become an issue as streaming services like Netflix and Apple Original Films often choose not to disclose box office earnings, as seen with “Emilia Pérez” and “Blitz,” respectively. This lack of reporting has continued since the COVID-19 pandemic, when studios began withholding numbers for certain releases. Dergarabedian explains, “Oftentimes, the reason that certain movies may not be reported is that there’s a chance that the quality of the movie will be conflated with the box office number.”
With the holiday season approaching, analysts expect box office numbers to rise as big releases like “Gladiator II” and “Wicked” hit theaters. As Dergarabedian noted, “In a couple of weeks, it’ll get a lot more competitive.”
Estimated box office earnings for Friday through Sunday in U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
- “Venom: The Last Dance” – $26.1 million
- “The Wild Robot” – $7.6 million
- “Smile 2” – $6.8 million
- “Conclave” – $5.3 million
- “Here” – $5 million
- “We Live In Time” – $3.5 million
- “Terrifier 3” – $3.4 million
- “Singham Again” – $2.1 million
- “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” – $2.1 million
- “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3” – $2.1 million
Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.
