Venom 3 Continues Box Office Dominance Beating Heretic & Others

comingsoon.net:

, directed by Kelly Marcel and starring Tom Hardy, led the U.S. through Veterans Day weekend, making it its third week at No. 1. Although the film’s critical reception was mixed, it has held steady with domestic audiences. Its cumulative IMAX revenue has reached $10 million, highlighting the franchise’s continued appeal in premium formats.

Venom: The Last Dance maintained its lead at the domestic box office, earning $16.2 million in its third weekend, a 37% decline from its previous earnings (via Deadline).

This brings its cumulative domestic total to $114.8 million, with an additional $1.5 million from IMAX screenings, reaching $10 million in IMAX revenue alone. Venom’s steady performance underscores its appeal as it continues to attract viewers in its third week.

Heretic, a horror film from A24, opened with $11 million, surpassing similar A24 releases like Midsommar ($6.5M) and MaXXXine ($6.7M). Its performance is close to Hereditary’s $13.5M debut, though its social media reach was lower than genre norms.

Cast members Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East promoted the film, reaching a combined audience of 60 million online. Heretic attracted a mostly young, male audience, with Dolby screenings accounting for 24% of its total gross.

Lionsgate’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever also debuted with strong numbers, earning $11.1 million. Aimed at family and faith-based audiences, the film achieved a significant turnout in middle American markets.

Promotional efforts included local print and radio appearances, as well as church screenings. This grassroots campaign built on Jenkins’ previous success with faith-oriented audiences, mirroring strategies used in past releases to engage community leaders and congregations.

Veterans Day on Monday contributed to an overall boost in box office performance, with nearly half of K-12 schools and a third of colleges closed for the holiday. The three-day weekend box office total reached $74 million, slightly above last weekend’s results.