How Politics Affects Superhero Flicks: The Case of ‘Venom: The Last Dance’
A few weeks ago, it was announced that the latest SSU entry, ‘Venom: The Last Dance,’ will be released on October 25, 2024, a significant shift from its previous release date of November 8, 2024. While shifting release dates is not uncommon in the movie industry, advancing a release date is quite unusual. Fans initially did not question the change, but recent reports from Variety suggest that the movie’s release date was shifted due to the upcoming US elections.
The Impact of Elections on Movie Releases
During election seasons, especially major ones like presidential elections, media coverage can dominate public attention. Movies may choose to avoid releasing during this time to ensure they don’t compete for audience attention with election-related news and events. Marketing costs can be substantial, sometimes further inflating development costs, so it doesn’t make much sense to compete with one of the biggest marketing and PR machines in the country.
Sensitive Themes and Political Bias
There’s also the question of the themes of the movie. While this is not the case with ‘The Last Dance,’ movies with sensitive political themes may opt-out to avoid the election season. If people either legitimately or accidentally perceive a political bias in something, it can disrupt the marketing plan. The first week of November currently lacks major movie releases, with the next significant releases scheduled for later in the month, such as ‘Gladiator 2’ on November 22, followed by ‘Wicked’ and ‘Moana 2’ on November 27. A studio executive suggests that releasing new material during the week of the election would be challenging due to the overshadowing noise and lack of attention from the audience.
Venom 3 Tracking for Franchise Record Box Office Opening
The latest forecast for ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ predicts the sequel will have an $80M – $120M opening weekend. ‘Venom’ and ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ each grossed $213.5M domestically, with opening numbers of $80M and $90M, respectively. If ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ reaches a $120M domestic opening, the sequel will not only break the franchise’s record but also have the potential to out-earn its predecessors’ domestic haul overall.
The Final Entry in the Venom Franchise
‘Venom: The Last Dance’ is set to be the final entry in the Venom franchise. Its story follows Eddie Brock/Venom as he faces the terrifying Marvel Comics villain, Knull. The film stars Tom Hardy as the lead, with Juno Temple, Stephen Graham, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Rhys Ifans in supporting roles. The Venom movies are among the most popular films released as part of the Sony Marvel franchise.
Projections and Comparisons
Beyond the opening weekend projections, ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ is tracking to be the biggest film in the series so far. Current projections show that the movie will gross $250-300M domestically, a significant increase from the previous two Venom films. Aside from Venom, none of Sony’s Marvel releases have come close to these numbers. ‘Morbius’ grossed $73.8M domestically after a $39M opening, while ‘Madame Web’ grossed an abysmal $43.8M domestically following a $15.3M domestic opening. Both films underperformed and received poor critical responses.
The Importance of the Venom Series
Regardless of whether fans prefer the MCU or Sony’s Marvel films, the success of the Venom series is important. Like Deadpool before it, the first film proved an antihero could helm a lucrative superhero film, provided the casting is well done. Tom Hardy’s popularity may contribute to the high projections. Alternatively, ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ bringing in Knull, a Thanos-level threat and creator of the symbiotes, could draw in comic book fans excited to see their favorite villain on the big screen.
Conclusion
The higher box office predictions may also be influenced by Spider-Man: No Way Home generating interest in Venom’s character after his cameo. Either way, ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ will hopefully be a fitting end to Eddie’s story.
