‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Will Waltz Into China

Columbia Pictures’ Venom: The Last Dance is essentially going day-and-date in China on October 23. The pic hits domestic theaters on Oct. 25.

The first Venom in 2018 received a China grossing close to $270M unadjusted for inflation; the first Tom Hardy movie repping just over a third of the Marvel movie’s $856M global gross. The post-Covid sequel, 2021’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage which made just over a half billion around the globe did not have a theatrical release in the Middle Kingdom.

In Venom: The Last Dance, Hardy returns as Venom, in the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.

The first Venom opened to $80.2M at the October domestic box office, once the highest opening before being pushed to fourth; Warner Bros/DC’s Joker the fall month’s champ with at $96.2M. Vernom: Let There Be Carnage is the third highest opening for October at $90M behind the month’s second highest debut, Taylor Swift: Eras Tour at $93.2M.

Venom: The Last Dance also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach and Stephen Graham. The threequel is directed by Kelly Marcel from a screenplay she wrote, based on a story by Hardy and Marcel. Based on the Marvel Comics. The film is produced by Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal, Kelly Marcel, Tom Hardy and Hutch Parker. Executive Producer is Joe Caracciolo Jr. 

A little bit of good news for U.S. pics in China: 20th Century Studios’ Alien: Romulus crossed $100M there, the second MPA feature to do so after Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.