‘Venom 3’ Dominates Box Office Once More, A24’s ‘Heretic’ Makes $11 Million Debut

In the wacky world of Hollywood, where blockbusters and flops dance a tango every weekend, the box office showdown continues. This time, it’s a tale of symbiotes, saints, and sinister surprises! Buckle up, my dear cinephiles, as I, Hollywood Hrishita, take you on a roller-coaster ride through the latest numbers and narratives.

🎬 Venom: The Last Dance is shimmying to the top of the box office charts, raking in a cool $16.2 million from 3,905 theaters across North America. Now, don’t get too excited, my darlings; that’s a 37% dip from last weekend. But hey, it’s still enough to keep those new kids on the block, “Heretic” and “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” eating its dust.

The fresh faces didn’t fare too badly, though. Thanks to some juicy gossip and a rather barren cinema scene post-election, these films opened quite nicely. It’s a quiet time in Hollywood; apparently, the whole world is glued to election updates instead of movie screens. So, the overall revenues? Down by over 11% from 2023 and a whopping 27% from 2019. Ouch! 📉

Heretic, starring our beloved Hugh Grant in a deliciously villainous role, snagged third place with $11 million from 3,221 venues. Who knew Hugh could pull off a sinister English recluse? Critics are loving it, giving it a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. And the CinemaScore? A charming C+, because horror endings are like marmite – you either love ’em or hate ’em! 😜

Movie oracle David A. Gross claims this is a killer opening for a horror flick. Apparently, 2024 might be a snooze-fest at the box office, but horror is alive and kicking!

Switching gears, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever jingled its way to second place with $11.1 million. But hold onto your Santa hats – $2.2 million of that was from a sneak preview last week! A feel-good, faith-based film with a sprinkle of holiday magic, it’s got audiences and critics singing carols in unison. 🎄

As we edge closer to Thanksgiving, this little festive flick is getting a head start before the big guns like Amazon’s “Red One” and the likes of “Gladiator II” and “Moana 2” enter the scene.

Meanwhile, Venom: The Last Dance might not be the heavyweight its predecessors were, but with $114 million domestically and $394.2 million worldwide, it’s doing alright for itself. Not quite a roaring success, but hey, it’s not a flop either!

In other news, The Wild Robot is hanging in there in fourth place, while Smile 2 is bringing in the chills and chuckles in fifth. The sequel is proving profitable, even if it’s not quite the box office behemoth of the original.

And oh, poor Here – a film where AI meets nostalgia, letting Tom Hanks and Robin Wright frolic through time – stumbled to the eighth spot. With a $45 million price tag, it needs a miracle or a time machine to break even!

Lastly, Ralph Fiennes in Conclave is having a moment, with $4.1 million this weekend. A Vatican thriller with a slow burn strategy, it’s carving its niche amidst the awards season madness.

🎥 Moral of the Story: In Hollywood, you’re only as good as your last weekend – unless you’re Hugh Grant in a horror film, then you’re just a delightful surprise! 😏