The Marvel anti-hero Venom has once again turned heads, with Sony Pictures’ latest movie, Venom: The Last Dance, delivering surprising box office results that highlight a significant overseas fanbase. Despite domestic earnings hitting a franchise low of $51 million, international sales have more than compensated, propelling the film to an impressive worldwide opening of $175 million. These figures provide insight into how Venom continues to thrive globally, particularly in China, where it pulled off an opening of $46 million, marking one of the country’s most substantial Hollywood premieres in recent memory.
The success overseas gives Venom: The Last Dance a substantial edge despite lukewarm U.S. reception, proving once again the international appetite for Marvel films — especially for titles outside of the mainstream Spider-Man and Spider-Verse films. Sony’s unique approach of sticking with a modest budget for Venom films has paid off, even as the superhero genre faces increased scrutiny and competition from higher-budget Marvel and DC films that haven’t always guaranteed big returns.
Mixed Reviews for Sony’s Marvel Titles, But Venom Continues to Rise
Unlike Marvel Studios’ blockbuster Avengers series or Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed Batman films, Sony’s Marvel titles have generally faced rough critical reviews. For instance, Sony’s Marvel titles outside Spider-Man routinely score low on Rotten Tomatoes, with the Venom series being a rare exception, scoring the highest with a modest 57% rating for Venom: Let There Be Carnage. These scores haven’t seemed to slow Venom’s international appeal, even as The Last Dance opened to mixed reviews.
This approach is not without risk, according to box office analysts like Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian, who has noted that the balance between budget control and creative direction can be tricky. He emphasizes that Sony’s reliance on secondary Marvel characters is a “double-edged sword” that can result in big wins or steep losses. While Venom has thrived, other Sony titles like Morbius and Madame Web failed to make much of an impact, proving that even Spider-Man-connected characters aren’t a guaranteed success.
Venom Franchise’s Cost-Conscious Model Outshines Expensive Superhero Flicks
One factor that sets Sony’s Venom franchise apart is its relatively low production cost. Altogether, the three Venom movies have cost around $330 million to produce, bringing in an impressive $1.5 billion worldwide. These numbers show a level of profitability that many superhero films with much larger budgets struggle to achieve, especially in an era where many high-profile releases face diminishing returns.
Comparatively, recent superhero films from major studios have racked up much larger budgets, yet faced considerable struggles to break even at the box office. Sony’s cost-effective strategy allows them to deliver profitable films, even with mixed reviews, and continue experimenting with over 900 Marvel characters in its arsenal — all tied to the Spider-Man universe. Sony’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter, for instance, is set to debut as an R-rated film in December, showcasing another of Sony’s new directions in delivering more mature content to audiences.
Kraven and Future Sony Marvel Films Face New Challenges
With Kraven the Hunter scheduled for a December release, Sony is once again venturing into lesser-known Marvel territory. Despite its ties to the Spider-Man universe, Kraven has faced challenges, including a budget increase from the intended $90 million to nearly $150 million due to pandemic-related costs and post-production delays. This move shows Sony’s commitment to giving each Marvel project ample resources, even if it exceeds initial budgets.
As the industry shifts amid superhero fatigue, Sony’s approach could serve as a model for future films within the superhero genre, combining modest budgets with strategic overseas targeting.
