Theater counts: Venom fends off a host of newcomers to remain widest release

November 7, 2024

Despite the arrival of seven wide releases, Venom: The Last Dance remains the box office frontrunner, securing just short of $26 million over the weekend, taking its domestic total to $89.85 million, while currently enjoying a 13-day total of nearly $97 million. The Venom franchise now holds a global cume of $1.68 billion, with a $323 million contribution from this latest installment. This week sees the debut of five new wide releases, all poised to take on the current box office champ.

The widest of the new releases this weekend is the psychological horror feature, Heretic. Starring Hugh Grant and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, this film follows two young missionaries who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed, becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. Heretic will land in 3,221 cinemas.

Another film making its debut is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. The Holiday family comedy follows six siblings who have a reputation for being the worst kids in the history of the world. But this Christmas, they’re taking over their local church pageant and just might unwittingly teach a shocked community the true meaning of Christmas. The film is directed by Dallas Jenkins and will start out in 3,020 locations.

The post-apocalyptic action-thriller Elevation, starring Anthony Mackie and Morena Baccarin, opens in 1,400 movie houses. The film follows a single father and two women as they venture from the safety of their homes to face monstrous creatures to save the life of a young boy.

Arriving in 799 venues this weekend is Small Things Like These. The film stars Cillian Murphy as an Irish coal merchant who discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent—and uncovers his truths—forcing him to confront his past and the complicit silence of a small Irish town controlled by the Catholic Church.

Also hitting theaters for the first time is the latest from Ketchup Entertainment with the release of Weekend in Taipei. The action film stars Luke Evans and Gwei Lun-Mei in the lead roles as a former DEA agent and a former undercover operative who revisit their romance during a fateful weekend in Taipei, unaware of the dangerous consequences of their past.

Rounding out the top five this weekend is the aforementioned box office leader, with Venom: The Last Dance dropping below 4,000 locations for the first time, landing at a still solid 3,905 theaters. Occupying the third place spot is The Wild Robot, playing in 3,051 cinemas. Lastly, Smile 2 will dip below 3,000 venues, landing in 2,822 locations.

Looking ahead to next weekend, we see the arrival of the Christmas action-comedy Red One. The film starring Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, and J.K. Simmons is projected to begin its theatrical run in approximately 4,000 theaters.

Filed under: Theater Counts, Venom, Smile, Chris Evans, Hugh Grant, Dwayne Johnson, Lucy Alexis Liu, Cillian Murphy, J.K. Simmons, Luke Evans, Gwei Lun-Mei, Scott Beck, Bryan Woods, Dallas Jenkins