The superhero movie “Venom: The Last Dance” remained the top film at China’s box office last weekend. For the second week in a row, it brought in 104 million yuan ($14.6 million). This keeps the film as one of the most successful international releases in China this year.
The sequel, called “Venom 3” overseas, has now earned over 70.8 million yuan (US$10.3 million) in China after 12 days in theaters. This puts it ahead of other recent major Hollywood films like “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which made 60.6 million yuan, and “Oppenheimer” with earnings of 63.3 million yuan. Box office analysts say these numbers show the film’s broad appeal, especially given recent challenges for Western films in China after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last Saturday, the movie took in 7 million yuan from over 100,000 screenings. This makes it the second highest for any comic book sequel’s second Saturday, only behind “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and its 8.9 million yuan earnings. While revenues dropped 49.6% from opening weekend, observers note this decline fits usual patterns for blockbuster releases.
Worldwide, “Venom: The Last Dance” has made over 193.98 million yuan total against a reported production cost of 110-120 million yuan. North America contributed 70.59 million yuan, with international markets adding 123.39 million yuan. This global success demonstrates the film’s popularity across different regions.
At Chinese theaters, the top challenge came from “Cesium Fallout,” a thriller about a nuclear disaster starring Andy Lau and Karen Mok. This film came in second place with 9.8 million yuan earned in its first weekend. Produced locally, it marks China’s entry into the nuclear disaster genre.
Other hits included “The Unseen Sister,” a mystery drama by Taiwanese director Midi Z, which made 3.5 million yuan in its second weekend for a 18.5 million yuan total so far. Additionally, the rerelease of “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” took fourth with 3.4 million yuan, including 0.7 million yuan from IMAX screenings.
Despite strong individual performances, China’s overall box office this year remains lower than past years. According to consultancy Artisan Gateway, the 2022 total has reached 5.45 billion yuan so far – down 21% from the same period in 2023. However, the continuing success of “Venom: The Last Dance” indicates potential for Hollywood films going forward in this important market.
