The first Venom movie proved to be a surprise box office success when it was released in 2018, and Sony Pictures' sequel, Let There Be Carnage, is now poised to follow suit after an incredible opening weekend.
Venom 2 looked set for a strong debut when it took in over $10 million from Thursday night preview screenings alone, but the raucous Marvel Comics adventure has ended up exceeding even the highest of expectations with a massive $90.1 million domestic haul. This gives the Andy Serkis-helmed flick the biggest three-day launch of the pandemic era, devouring the previous record held by Marvel Studios' Black Widow ($80.8M).
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings still holds the Pandemic record for its four-day Labor Day opening ($94.7 million), but it falls short of the Venom sequel's three-day takings with $75.4 million.
This is obviously great news for the still-recovering box office, and Cinemark believes Let There Be Carnage could go on to score the second-biggest October opening weekend of all time. “This is another strong example that people want and need to get out of their homes for an immersive entertainment experience,” Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi said in a statement (via THR).
Like its predecessor, Let There Be Carnage wasn't met with the warmest reception from ctitics (it's currently sitting just under "fresh" stratus on RT at 59%), but that clearly hasn't dissuaded cinemagoers from checking it out for themselves.
Have you guys been to see Venom: Let There Be Carnage yet? If not, do you plan on it?