Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Sony's Marvel sequel that is separate from Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), earned a whopping $90 million at the box office during its opening weekend, setting a new pandemic record.

Sony's supervillain film is a sequel to 2018's Venom and once again stars Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, an investigative journalist who is the host of the titular alien symbiote. This time around, Eddie is forced to use his new extraordinary abilities against Woody Harrelson's Cletus Kasady, a serial killer who becomes the host of another alien symbiote known as Carnage. The film's impressive record-breaking debut proves yet again Marvel's reign at the box office and audiences' desire to return to the big screen.

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Venom: Let There Be Carnage surpassed both of the MCU's recently released blockbusters in Black Widow, which racked up $80 million during its opening weekend, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which garnered $75 million in its debut. What's even more impressive, though, is that Venom 2 had a bigger opening weekend than its 2018 predecessor, which debuted to just $80 during a pre-pandemic era. Even with the pandemic still lingering on, the gradual growth in numbers at theatres seems to depend on multiple factors.

Carnage in Venom: Let There Be Carnage

David A. Gross, who is the head of the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, believes that sometimes it takes the right movie to make the biggest splash at the box office, especially in today's uncertainty caused by the pandemic. “Young adult audiences are less deterred by current pandemic conditions than older and family moviegoers, which is benefitting superhero, action, and horror movies,” Gross adds.

On the other hand, Sony Chairman Tom Rothman says, "We are also pleased that patience and theatrical exclusivity have been rewarded with record results." As seen with Warner Bros.' recent hybrid model of simultaneously having their 2021 theatrical releases premiere on WarnerMedia's HBO MAX streaming service, their films have not lived up to box office expectations. The Many Saints of Newark, a prequel film based on the hit HBO series The Sopranos, is the studios' most recent flop, as the film only generated $5 million and is currently on track to lose millions at the box office.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage's successful opening is a breath of fresh air for theatres, which have been struggling for roughly a year and a half now. With October filled with upcoming blockbusters such as No Time to Die and Dune, theatres can expect their sales to reach new highs as moviegoers rush back in.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is playing in theatres now.

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Source: Variety