NEW YORK (AP) ā has been no blockbuster in North American theaters. But in a lethargic fall moviegoing season, even a so-so performing superhero sequel can rule the box office for three straight weeks.
For the third weekend in a row, āVenom: The Last Danceā was the No. 1 movie at the box office, collecting $16.2 million in ticket sales in U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. It fended off a pair of new challengers in and the feel-good holiday movie āThe Best Christmas Pageant Ever.ā
With the election on Tuesday, the major studios opted not to put any new releases into theaters. That allowed Sony Picturesā āVenom: The Last Dance,ā the third entry in the Tom Hardy-led franchise, to hold its position.
While āThe Last Danceā hasnāt been a huge hit domestically ā in late October ā it has thrived overseas, grossing almost triple what it has in North America. The āVenomā sequel has grossed $279.4 million internationally, bringing its global total to $394.2 million.
āHereticā and āThe Best Christmas Pageant Everā were neck and neck for second place. Counting only Friday-Sunday ticket sales, the edge went to āHeretic,ā which debuted with $11 million. āThe Best Christmas Pageant Ever,ā though, factored in $2.2 million in sneak-peak screenings from last weekend to claim a reported opening gross of $11.1 million.
A24ās āHeretic,ā directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, follows two Mormon missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who knock on the door of a man (Grant) theyāll regret trying to evangelize to. Though āHereticā has been for the darkest turn yet by Grant, audiences were less impressed, giving it a āC+ā CinemaScore. Regardless, with a budget under $10 million, āHereticā will easily turn a profit.
āThe Best Christmas Pageant Ever,ā released by Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company, which specializes in Christian entertainment, is about six siblings with a bad reputation who take over the local church pageant. The film, an adaptation of Barbara Robinsonās 1972 childrenās book directed by Dallas Jenkins, did well with audiences, who gave it a āAā CinemaScore. It, too, was modestly budgeted at about $10 million.
In its seventh week of release, Universal and DreamWorks Animationās continues to show little rust in theaters. It landed in fourth place with $6.6 million, bringing its domestic haul to $130.2 million and its worldwide gross to $292 million.
starring Mikey Madison as a Brooklyn sex worker, expanded into wide release. The Neon film, an expected best-picture contender, collected $2.4 million in 1,104 theaters. Its four-week total stands at $7.2 million.
starring Ralph Fiennes, continues to perform exceptionally well for an adult-oriented drama. The Focus Features release, in its third weekend of release, added 487 theaters and dipped a modest 19% to earn $4.1 million. It has collected $21.5 million. Similarly, A24ās starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, has stayed strong, grossing $2.2 million in its fifth weekend for a $21.8 million total.
Overall ticket sales, though, remain sluggish. Box office is running about 11% behind last year, according to Comscore. In the last two weeks, overall ticket sales are down about 50% from the pre-pandemic average, according to David A. Gross, a film consultant who publishes a newsletter for Franchise Entertainment.
The good news for theaters: The next few weeks are lined up for several big new releases, including the Amazon MGM Christmas comedy āRed Oneā (Nov. 15), Paramount Picturesā (Nov. 22), Universalās (also Nov. 22) and the Walt Disney Co.ās (Nov. 27).
āBetter late than never is the rule of the day and we can expect some positive success stories coming out of the Thanksgiving corridor, which looks the be on par with some of the biggest such frames over the past many years,ā said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore.
Before opening in U.S. theaters, āRed One,ā starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans, kicked off in 75 overseas markets, collecting $26.6 million. The film carries a hefty price tag of about $250 million to make.
Final domestic figures will be released Monday. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore, are:
1. āVenom: The Last Dance,ā $16.2 million.
2. āHeretic,ā $11 million.
3. āThe Best Christmas Pageant Ever,ā $8.9 million.
4. āThe Wild Robot,ā $6.7 million.
5. āSmile 2,ā $5 million.
6. āConclave,ā $4.1 million.
7. āAnora,ā $2.5 million.
8. āHere,ā $2.4 million.
9. āWe Live in Time,ā $2.2 million.
10. āTerrifier 3,ā $1.4 million.
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
