In a weekend marked by contrasting fortunes, the Venom franchise continued its steady ascent, while a high-profile adult drama struggled to find its footing. As the nation gears up for a pivotal election, the box office landscape reflects the shifting tides of audience preferences and the enduring appeal of comic book adaptations.

Venom Triumphs, Hanks-Wright Drama Falters

Venom: The Last Dance Maintains Momentum

After a somewhat sluggish start, the third installment in the Venom franchise, "Venom: The Last Dance," gained significant ground in its second weekend. The Sony comic book movie experienced a franchise-low 49% decline, earning $26.1 million from 4,131 screens to emerge victorious in an overall quiet weekend. The final chapter in the Venom trilogy has now amassed a domestic total of $90 million, with its overseas performance continuing to outpace its domestic earnings, a trend consistent with the previous two films in the franchise. Globally, "The Last Dance" has grossed $317 million, narrowly surpassing the performance of "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" at the same point in their respective runs.

Hanks and Wright's "Here" Struggles to Resonate

In contrast to Venom's resilience, the adult drama "Here," reuniting "Forrest Gump" director Robert Zemeckis with stars Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, could only manage a fifth-place finish with an estimated $5 million from 2,642 screens. The poorly reviewed film failed to garner much enthusiasm from moviegoers, who awarded it a disappointing B- CinemaScore, a concerning grade for a high-profile drama. The film's audience skewed heavily towards older viewers, with nearly half the audience over the age of 55. Miramax financed the $45 million production, with Sony picking up the domestic distribution rights.

Clint Eastwood's "Juror #2" Generates Buzz

The weekend also saw the curious case of Clint Eastwood's "Juror #2," which is receiving an awards-qualifying theatrical run before its eventual debut on the Max streaming platform. The film, which was always intended for a direct-to-streaming release in the U.S., marks the first time an Eastwood project has forgone a traditional theatrical release, sparking considerable industry buzz. While Warner Bros. did not release domestic box office figures, the studio did report that the film earned $5 million from six international markets where Eastwood's films have historically performed well.

Holdovers Demonstrate Staying Power

Amidst the new releases, several holdover titles continued to impress. DreamWorks Animation and Universal's "The Wild Robot" held strong at the second spot, actually increasing by 11% in its sixth weekend and earning $76 million domestically and $269 million globally. Paramount and Temple Hill's "Smile 2" placed third, crossing the $100 million mark at the global box office, despite a 29% decline in North America. The horror sequel's international performance, where it has grossed $57.1 million, has been particularly noteworthy.

Awards Contenders Gain Traction

On the awards circuit, FilmNation and Indian Paintbrush's "Conclave" continued to impress, falling only 20% in its second weekend and moving up to the fourth spot with $5.3 million from 1,796 screens. The Oscar hopeful has now earned a promising $15.2 million domestically. A24's "We Live in Time" also maintained a presence, earning $3.5 million in its third weekend for a domestic total of $17.7 million.As the nation prepares for the upcoming election, Hollywood studios have opted to hold back their bigger and more commercial releases until mid-November, leaving room for alternative content. This weekend saw the nationwide openings of three Indian films, with two landing in the top 10, further diversifying the box office landscape.