Sony defends Venom trilogy despite lukewarm reviews and declining box office performance, highlights $1.8 billion success and future plans.
Sony Picture’s Venom trilogy has been a wild rollercoaster on all fronts. The franchise stars Tom Hardy in the lead, who earned worldwide recognition after the breakout success of the first installment in 2018. The series has cemented itself in the superhero genre but the label has found itself at a crossroads.
Tom Hardy in Venom: The Last Dance | Sony Entertainment
With mixed reviews and a shocking box office response, the trilogy slowly lost its grip. However, Sony is still defending the franchise. Let’s understand why Venom is being defended despite a lukewarm performance and the reason the last film was not well-received.
Sony defends Venom: The Last Dance and the trilogy’s legacy
Tom Hardy in Venom: The Last Dance | Sony Entertainment
Sony has made it clear that they are one hundred percent committed to the Venom trilogy, even when The Last Dance only raked in $473 million worldwide. It had the lowest-grossing numbers in the series, but insiders of the studio are still hopeful about the franchise’s future (via Variety).
The trilogy has collectively earned over $1.8 billion globally, with the first installment securing a whopping $856 million and the second reaching $501 million (via The Numbers). Even with the underwhelming numbers of the latest entry, the film’s production budget of $120 million leaves it in profitable territory.
Sony has faith in Venom because despite being a character in the Spider-Man Universe, it has made a place for itself. Even without the involvement of Spider-Man, the movie franchise can sustain and entertain the audience.
Why Tom Hardy’s Venom: The Last Dance did not perform well at the box-office
Tom Hardy in Venom: The Last Dance | Sony Entertainment
One main reason behind The Last Dance underperforming on the financial front could be the absence of Spider-Man. Even though Sony believes that Venom is a standalone character and can hold up to his own, it might not be the case. Perhaps the first movie gave them the confidence that their spin-offs could do just as well without the web-slinger.
There’s also a possibility of franchise fatigue setting in because the screenplay for the third installment was lackluster, and even Tom Hardy’s performance couldn’t save it. The high-octane sequences were a saving grace, but the film still struggled to generate the same level of buzz as its predecessors.
Even though Venom’s declining financial figures aren’t ideal, it still has the studio’s unwavering support. Hardy as Eddie Brock and Venom has garnered consistent praise regardless of how the movie performed, so it’s only natural that the studio does not want to let go of such an amazing character. They would rather strategize and lean into the actor’s star power to refine all the future storylines than stop production.
