For no matter purpose, Sony turned satisfied that crafting a complete franchise set within the Spider-Man universe with out that includes the webslinger himself was a good suggestion. In equity, Kevin Feige and the oldsters at Marvel Studios did create probably the most profitable field workplace franchise in historical past by taking lesser-known characters and giving them the A-list character remedy. However the important thing factor there was that these early Marvel Cinematic Universe movies had been truly fairly good. In any case, they had been strong blockbuster leisure. Sony, however, has pumped out a string of really bewildering movies based mostly on the Marvel characters to which it owns the rights.
“Morbius,” for instance, turned nothing in need of a joke upon its 2022 launch, with Sony then attempting to double down on that joke with a theatrical re-release that additionally flopped. Simply in case the studio hadn’t already doomed its then lamentably-titled “Sony Footage Universe of Marvel Characters (SPUMC),” Sony delivered, “Madame Net,” a movie that is notable for briefly turning into a kind of “so dangerous it is good” films (the infinitely-memed “researching spiders” line appeared prefer it would possibly present considerably of a reprieve for the ill-fated movie) earlier than transcending that tenuous boundary as soon as once more to simply be seen as plain terrible. With “Kraven the Hunter” having since debuted and didn’t make a lot of an affect, Sony’s Spider-Man Universe seems to be lifeless within the water.
The one films from the mercifully retitled Sony’s Spider-Man Universe that appeared to achieve any actual traction had been the Tom Hardy-led “Venom” movies, which began off fairly properly earlier than getting progressively worse — to the purpose the threequel, “Venom: The Final Dance,” noticed Hardy’s Marvel trilogy finish with a whimper. Nonetheless, a $474 million take on the field workplace on a $110 million finances is not too dangerous, and now there’s one thing else working within the movie’s favor: Netflix. Sure, the streaming crowds have elevated this in any other case critically-maligned Sony Marvel film, sending “Venom: The Final Dance” straight to the highest of the most-watched charts.
Venom goes for one final dance on the Netflix charts
Sony made some baffling decisions for its Spider-Man Universe, however Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock/Venom was, at the least at first, an impressed one which paid dividends throughout the three films within the saga. Although the movies themselves deteriorated over that point, Hardy was all the time charismatic and clearly proper for the function. Sadly, that wasn’t sufficient to avoid wasting the trilogy from going downhill, however that will probably be of little concern to Sony for the reason that films stored earning profits. Why had been folks going to see a movie like “Venom: The Final Dance,” with its 40% Rotten Tomatoes rating? It stays a thriller — as does the movie’s arrival on the prime of the Netflix most-watched charts.
The movie hit Netflix on February 25, 2025, and jumped straight to primary. In accordance with FlixPatrol, a web site that tracks streaming viewership figures throughout the varied platforms, “Venom: The Final Dance” is primary in 11 international locations, together with the US. What’s extra, the movie truly debuted within the prime spot in all of these international locations on February 26, making “The Final Dance” an on the spot Netflix hit. In accordance with FlixPatrol, the movie has additionally been hovering across the backside of the charts in Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Pakistan, the place it has been accessible to stream for somewhat longer.
On the time of writing, Hardy’s threequel hasn’t fared fairly properly sufficient to chart on the worldwide High 10 (per FlixPatrol). However that doubtless has to do with the staggered launch in varied international locations. In any other case, that is an unmitigated success for a movie /Movie’s Chris Evangelista described as “a rushed, clumsy, lackluster finale.”
Can Venom keep at primary on Netflix?
The debut of “Venom: The Final Dance” is a profitable one to make certain, however it’s not fairly absolutely the international domination wrought by a movie resembling Cameron Diaz’s first venture in 11 years, “Again in Motion,” which took over the Netflix charts final month, hitting primary in 92 international locations and staying within the rankings for weeks. That stated, Diaz’s actioner was a Netflix authentic and was doubtless launched in additional markets on the streaming platform than Sony’s “Venom” film.
“Venom: The Final Dance” additionally did not fare all that properly with critics, however a 40% RT rating could be somewhat excessive for it to really change into a fixture on the prime of the Netflix charts. “Again in Motion,” for instance, bears a lowly 29%, whereas Amy Schumer’s newest comedy, “Kinda Pregnant,” equally took over the Netflix charts with what was, on the time, a 22% RT ranking. A 40% rating appears comparatively glowing.
The true wrestle for Sony’s newest “Venom” outing, if it needs to retain its place on the prime of the Netflix rankings, is the competitors. On the time of writing, “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Amongst Thieves” simply hit the Netflix rankings at quantity two within the U.S. (as per FlixPatrol), and with its 91% RT rating, might simply dethrone “Venom.” We’ll must see how issues play out for Hardy’s final outing over the approaching week, but when he can keep on the prime of the charts, it can doubtless be the final favor he does for Sony’s now defunct Marvel universe.