New Reporter
05-10-21, 10:31
Venom sequel feasts on monstrous US$90m debut to set pandemic record
Result provides lifeline to struggling cinemas, proves Marvel's box office might
Tue, Oct 05, 2021
Los Angeles
REUTERS - THE movie Venom: Let There be Carnage roared to US$90.1 million in its debut weekend, setting a new pandemic record in the process. It is an impressive result, one that provides a lifeline to struggling cinema chains and once again proves Marvel's might at the box office.
The much darker Venom follow-up comes from Sony Pictures and is separate from Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe, which recently delivered Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Black Widow - the two highest-grossing films of the year at the North American box office.
If its first three days in theatres are any indication, Venom: Let There be Carnage looks to find itself among that group as 2021's biggest earners.
The film is playing only in cinemas as opposed to a hybrid release on-demand, a factor that should help ticket sales.
"We are also pleased that patience and theatrical exclusivity have been rewarded with record results," Sony's chairman Tom Rothman said in a press statement. "With apologies to Mr Twain: The death of movies has been greatly exaggerated."
The supervillain sequel, starring Tom Hardy as the otherworldly lethal protector, blew past the pandemic-era benchmark set last July by Black Widow, which opened to US$80 million in theatres.
The Scarlett Johansson-led action flick made an additional US$60 million on Disney+, where it was available to purchase on the same day as its theatrical debut.
"Young adult audiences are less deterred by current pandemic conditions than older and family moviegoers, which is benefitting superhero, action and horror movies," says David Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research.
He added: "For these movies, playing exclusively on the big screen is clearly an advantage."
Making inaugural ticket sales for Venom: Let There be Carnage even more impressive was the fact that it had a bigger opening weekend than its predecessor, 2018's Venom.
The first comic book adventure with Hardy at the helm opened to US$80 million, years before the devastating global health crisis.
Despite terrible reviews, the original became a box office juggernaut and grossed US$213 million in North America and US$856 million globally. Venom was particularly huge in China, where the 2018 movie collected US$269 million.
The sequel does not have a release date yet in China, a market that will be crucial to its success. Although it is expected to open there, the country has denied Black Widow, Shang-Chi, and other major Hollywood titles.
Venom: Let There be Carnage was not the only new movie to inject some life into the box office. MGM's animated adventure The Addams Family 2 pulled in a better-than-expected US$18 million from 4,207 theatres while it was simultaneously available to rent on-demand.
Meanwhile, the Warner Bros movie The Many Saints of Newark, a prequel to The Sopranos, flopped in its debut, generating a paltry US$5 million from 3,181 venues.
Like the studio's entire 2021 slate, the film opened concurrently on HBO Max at no extra cost to subscribers.
Elsewhere at the domestic box office, Shang-Chi collected another US$6 million in its fifth weekend of release, boosting its overall total to US$206 million.
It is the first - and so far only - pandemic-era movie to gross more than US$200 million in the US and Canada.
The superhero tentpole has generated US$386 million globally, which is far less than a Marvel movie would make in non-Covid times, but ranks as one of the best hauls at a time when attendance has not come close to reaching pre-pandemic levels.
Result provides lifeline to struggling cinemas, proves Marvel's box office might
Tue, Oct 05, 2021
Los Angeles
REUTERS - THE movie Venom: Let There be Carnage roared to US$90.1 million in its debut weekend, setting a new pandemic record in the process. It is an impressive result, one that provides a lifeline to struggling cinema chains and once again proves Marvel's might at the box office.
The much darker Venom follow-up comes from Sony Pictures and is separate from Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe, which recently delivered Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Black Widow - the two highest-grossing films of the year at the North American box office.
If its first three days in theatres are any indication, Venom: Let There be Carnage looks to find itself among that group as 2021's biggest earners.
The film is playing only in cinemas as opposed to a hybrid release on-demand, a factor that should help ticket sales.
"We are also pleased that patience and theatrical exclusivity have been rewarded with record results," Sony's chairman Tom Rothman said in a press statement. "With apologies to Mr Twain: The death of movies has been greatly exaggerated."
The supervillain sequel, starring Tom Hardy as the otherworldly lethal protector, blew past the pandemic-era benchmark set last July by Black Widow, which opened to US$80 million in theatres.
The Scarlett Johansson-led action flick made an additional US$60 million on Disney+, where it was available to purchase on the same day as its theatrical debut.
"Young adult audiences are less deterred by current pandemic conditions than older and family moviegoers, which is benefitting superhero, action and horror movies," says David Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research.
He added: "For these movies, playing exclusively on the big screen is clearly an advantage."
Making inaugural ticket sales for Venom: Let There be Carnage even more impressive was the fact that it had a bigger opening weekend than its predecessor, 2018's Venom.
The first comic book adventure with Hardy at the helm opened to US$80 million, years before the devastating global health crisis.
Despite terrible reviews, the original became a box office juggernaut and grossed US$213 million in North America and US$856 million globally. Venom was particularly huge in China, where the 2018 movie collected US$269 million.
The sequel does not have a release date yet in China, a market that will be crucial to its success. Although it is expected to open there, the country has denied Black Widow, Shang-Chi, and other major Hollywood titles.
Venom: Let There be Carnage was not the only new movie to inject some life into the box office. MGM's animated adventure The Addams Family 2 pulled in a better-than-expected US$18 million from 4,207 theatres while it was simultaneously available to rent on-demand.
Meanwhile, the Warner Bros movie The Many Saints of Newark, a prequel to The Sopranos, flopped in its debut, generating a paltry US$5 million from 3,181 venues.
Like the studio's entire 2021 slate, the film opened concurrently on HBO Max at no extra cost to subscribers.
Elsewhere at the domestic box office, Shang-Chi collected another US$6 million in its fifth weekend of release, boosting its overall total to US$206 million.
It is the first - and so far only - pandemic-era movie to gross more than US$200 million in the US and Canada.
The superhero tentpole has generated US$386 million globally, which is far less than a Marvel movie would make in non-Covid times, but ranks as one of the best hauls at a time when attendance has not come close to reaching pre-pandemic levels.