Venom 3 Expected to Revive October Box Office After “Joker” Sequel’s Disappointing Performance

With Warner Bros.’ “Joker: Folie à Deux” failing to meet expectations and the past weekend’s overall ticket sales dropping 43% compared to the same period last year, the October box office is experiencing a sluggish period. In light of these figures, there is significant anticipation surrounding the release of “Venom 3,” with projections suggesting a $70 million opening when it hits theaters on October 25.

This expected box office performance, although the lowest in the “Venom” trilogy compared to the $90 million opening of “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” in 2021 and the $80.2 million of the 2018 original, is still considered a positive outcome. Should “Venom 3” reach this forecasted amount, it would mark the second-largest opening for a comic book film in 2024, following “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which garnered $211.4 million.

Current tracking indicates that men under 25 are the demographic most aware of and interested in the upcoming “Venom” release. Men over 25 are noted as the second-strongest group in terms of both unaided awareness and first-choice preference.

For “Venom 3,” Kelly Marcel, who penned the scripts for the first two movies, makes her directorial debut. The “Venom” franchise, part of Sony‘s Marvel partnership, has generated approximately $1.36 billion globally through its first two films.

Additional movie competition on the wide release slate for October 25 includes Focus Features’ “Conclave,” directed by Edward Berger, which has received critical acclaim and a 91% fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes.

Despite current challenges, October’s box office is up 4% over the same 13-day period from the previous year, according to Comscore. This uptick is attributed mainly to Warner Bros.’ successful “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which has spurred robust autumn business.