Venom 3 Tops Box Office, New Releases Heretic and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Make Strong Debuts

"Venom: The Last Dance" continues to dominate the domestic box office in its third weekend, earning $16. 2 million. This is a decrease of 37% from last week, but it's still enough to top two new releases: A24's horror thriller "Heretic" and Lionsgate's family-friendly "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. " Despite the lack of major releases post-election weekend, the box office is struggling overall, down 11% from 2023 and 27% from 2019. "Heretic, " starring Hugh Grant in an unconventional villain role, opened in third place with $11 million. The film, about two young Mormon missionaries who encounter a reclusive Englishman (Grant), received positive reviews and a "C+" CinemaScore. Meanwhile, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" debuted at No. 2 with $11. 1 million. This includes $2. 2 million from a previous one-night preview. The faith-based film, directed by Dallas Jenkins and starring Judy Greer, Pete Holmes, and Lauren Graham, has been well-received by critics and audiences.Industry expert David A. Gross notes that while the box office hasn't been strong this year, horror films are engaging young audiences. He believes "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" could hold its own against upcoming holiday releases. "Venom: The Last Dance" has so far grossed $114 million in North America and $394. 2 million globally. While it hasn't matched the success of previous installments, it's on track to break even with a $120 million budget. Other notable films include "The Wild Robot" dropping to fourth place with $6. 6 million, and "Smile 2" rounding out the top five with $5 million. "Here, " a fantasy drama using AI to portray younger and older versions of Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, stumbled to the No. 8 spot with $2. 4 million. Ralph Fiennes' thriller "Conclave" continued its strong showing, earning $4. 1 million for sixth place.