Venom 3: A Slower Start, But Still Dancing

"Venom: The Last Dance" isn't off to a supercharged start in North America. It munched $22 million on its opening day from 4, 131 theaters, lagging behind the first two films. The trilogy capper is set to debut at around $65 million—less than expected. Despite this, Sony is banking on international markets to boost its profits, as previous "Venom" films did well overseas.

The third installment has a leaner budget of $120 million, compared to most superhero blockbusters. Critics haven't been kind, but that hasn't stopped the franchise before. However, fans seem less excited this time, with a "B-" rating from CinemaScore. Comic book adaptations have faced challenges drawing big audiences lately, except for mega-hits like "Deadpool & Wolverine. " Sony's "Madame Web" also struggled this year. Tom Hardy returns as Eddie Brock and the alien symbiote, joined by new faces like Juno Temple and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Director Kelly Marcel helms this chapter. Meanwhile, Focus Features' "Conclave" is drawing older audiences with a strong opening day of $2. 5 million. Paramount's "Smile 2" is sliding to second place, and "The Wild Robot" is still going strong.

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