The Veterans Day box office this year, despite not featuring a big blockbuster, saw surprisingly strong performances from multiple films, indicating a solid turnout across theaters nationwide. While many anticipated a quieter weekend, three films—Sony’s “Venom: The Last Dance,” Lionsgate/Kingdom Story’s “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” and A24’s horror film “Heretic”—outperformed projections. This unexpected success was particularly noteworthy as it came during a weekend often avoided by studios for major releases due to lower attendance expectations and competing Veterans Day activities.
“Venom: The Last Dance” Secures Top Spot in Third Weekend with $16.2M
Sony’s latest addition to the Venom series, “Venom: The Last Dance,” maintained its lead for the third consecutive weekend, a rare feat for the franchise and a testament to its enduring fanbase. The film pulled in an impressive $16.2 million, down by only 37% from the previous weekend, and brought its domestic total to $114.8 million. Notably, it continued to perform well on IMAX screens, contributing an additional $1.5 million over the weekend, raising its premium format earnings to $10 million.
This success, however, led industry insiders to question Sony’s scheduling strategy, as some believe the film might have generated even stronger numbers with a holiday release. They argue that Venom’s dedicated fanbase could have propelled it to a much larger return closer to Christmas, a time when tentpole releases often enjoy long legs and multiple viewings. Instead, Sony opted to delay the release of “Kraven the Hunter” to December, leaving some analysts wondering if this schedule switch would pay off in a competitive holiday landscape.
“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” Draws Faith-Based Audiences with Strong Marketing
Lionsgate’s family-friendly Christmas film “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” emerged as a top contender over the weekend, landing at No. 2 with an impressive $11.1 million—well above initial projections. Directed by Dallas Jenkins, best known for his work on the faith-based hit series “The Chosen,” the film’s success was largely driven by a targeted grassroots marketing campaign that resonated with religious and family audiences.
A significant portion of the film’s success came from its ability to engage faith-based viewers, who were actively mobilized through screenings, social media campaigns, and promotional events hosted by Jenkins. Notably, the film’s promotions extended beyond traditional advertising, tapping into local media across the heartland, as well as faith-based gatherings and social media platforms associated with “The Chosen.” Jenkins’s team reportedly activated its extensive network of religious leaders and faith influencers, organizing advanced screenings to ensure the film’s message was shared within religious communities. These efforts allowed the film to connect deeply with audiences who were drawn to its family-friendly themes and Christmas spirit.
With a modest budget under $10 million and an A CinemaScore rating, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” is poised for continued success throughout the holiday season. Should its performance hold steady, the film is expected to follow a trend common to holiday-themed releases, achieving a box office multiple of at least 3x, if not 4x. This would make it one of Lionsgate’s best-performing releases of 2024, second only to its earlier summer hit, “The Strangers: Chapter 1,” which debuted with $11.8 million and went on to gross $35.2 million domestically.
“Heretic” Draws Genre Fans with Hugh Grant’s Horror Turn
A24’s “Heretic” marked another strong opening this weekend, with a debut of $11 million, slightly surpassing expectations for the film’s R-rated horror genre. Directed by “A Quiet Place” writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, “Heretic” brought actor Hugh Grant back to the screen in a surprising role as a horror villain, a departure from his usual romantic-comedy persona. His casting helped attract a substantial amount of media attention and fan interest, especially among audiences curious to see his performance in a dark, villainous role.
Social media played a pivotal role in building up “Heretic’s” fan base before its release. The film’s leading actors, Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, helped promote the movie through their personal channels, boasting a combined reach of approximately 600,000 followers. The film’s social media strategy reached an estimated 60 million followers, a significant figure that, while somewhat below horror-thriller standards, nevertheless contributed to strong engagement. Fans were eager to see the film’s intense trailer, with repost rates for “Heretic” outpacing similar releases at a high ratio of 23:1, sparking conversations across social platforms about Grant’s villainous transformation.
However, “Heretic” has received mixed reviews from audiences, with a C+ CinemaScore and a 70% PostTrak rating, signaling a divisive reaction typical of A24’s horror offerings. This mixed reception echoes the audience response to Ari Aster’s “Midsommar,” which also garnered a C+ CinemaScore but went on to achieve a strong cult following and critical success. With an 18-34 age demographic forming 65% of its viewers, “Heretic” seems well-positioned to draw younger audiences interested in horror, potentially gaining traction as the only horror release until A24’s “Y2K” debuts in early December.
Weekend Boost from Veterans Day Holiday Attendance
Veterans Day’s Monday observance is expected to provide an additional boost to the weekend box office, with increased attendance likely due to school closures across the country. Comscore reported that 47% of K-12 schools and 32% of colleges would be closed for the holiday, creating an opportunity for family outings and increased theater traffic. The industry had hoped for a major tentpole to capitalize on the long weekend, and many insiders were surprised that studios refrained from scheduling larger releases for this date.
Reflecting on past successful Veterans Day releases, industry analysts noted that the holiday’s timing often contributes to strong box office performances, particularly when bolstered by major titles. For example, 2022’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” set a November record with a staggering $181.3 million opening. Comparatively, this weekend’s estimated $74 million take was a modest improvement over last weekend’s box office but fell 15% below last year’s Veterans Day weekend total, which was headlined by “The Marvels.”
Thanksgiving Competition Looms: “Wicked” and “Moana 2” Expected to Drive Holiday Box Office Boom
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, two major releases—Universal’s “Wicked” and Disney’s “Moana 2”—are expected to fuel a substantial box office boom. “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, has already generated significant anticipation, with industry sources projecting a potential $100 million-plus opening weekend, well above initial estimates of $80-$85 million. Insiders who have seen early previews are optimistic about Grande’s performance, likening her to Barbra Streisand in her prime, and suggesting that both Grande and Erivo could see Oscar nominations for their roles.
While some in the industry worry about potential competition between “Wicked” and “Moana 2,” which is projected to open around $135 million, analysts believe both films can thrive in the family-friendly holiday season. Many expect audiences to see both films, creating a “double feature” holiday outing that could bring in record numbers for Thanksgiving.
Other Box Office Highlights and New Releases
Several other films made noteworthy contributions to the box office this weekend:
- “The Wild Robot” (Universal): This animated family film continued to perform well in its seventh week, pulling in $6 million for a total of $130.2 million to date. Its enduring success demonstrates a strong appeal among family audiences, particularly in the absence of new animated releases this weekend.
- “Smile 2” (Paramount): In its fourth week, the horror sequel brought in $5 million, contributing to a cumulative total of $60.5 million. Despite a slight drop from last week, the film continues to draw audiences, reflecting sustained interest in horror following Halloween.
- “Anora” (NEON): Director Sean Baker’s latest film, “Anora,” expanded to over 1,100 theaters and reached $7.2 million in its fourth weekend, surpassing the lifetime total of Baker’s previous film, “The Florida Project.” This steady growth highlights the film’s appeal in key urban markets such as Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.
- “Small Things Like These” (Roadside Attractions): Starring Cillian Murphy, this drama opened with $585,000 across 799 theaters. Positive reviews and high audience ratings have helped generate strong word-of-mouth, potentially setting the film up for a steady run.
- “Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom” (Crunchyroll): This anime release garnered $555,000 on Friday from 621 locations, reaching an estimated $1.1 million for the weekend. Its performance was strongest in cities with established anime fanbases, including New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle.
- “Elevation” (Vertical): Starring Anthony Mackie and Morena Baccarin, the sci-fi film “Elevation” earned $400,000 on Friday, totaling around $1 million for the weekend. Mixed reviews have impacted the film’s overall reception, with a 52% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
- “Weekend in Taipei” (Ketchup Entertainment): Directed by George Huang and starring Luke Evans, this drama performed modestly with $150,000 on Friday and a weekend total of $360,000 across 1,021 locations.
A Look Ahead: The Upcoming Holiday Slate and Changing Box Office Dynamics
With a strong holiday lineup featuring Amazon/MGM’s “Red One” and the highly anticipated returns of “Wicked,” “Gladiator II,” and “Moana II,” the Thanksgiving and Christmas box office is expected to draw massive crowds. This is particularly crucial in a post-COVID environment where theatrical releases face competition from streaming services.
Many studio executives emphasize the need for a diversified slate, spanning all budgets and genres, to meet audience demand across demographics. However, insiders caution that studios need to back their films with robust promotional efforts to draw audiences back to theaters consistently. In recent years, faith-based films like “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” have demonstrated that with targeted marketing, even smaller-budget releases can yield profitable results and sustain long runs.
As studios prepare for the holiday season, the lesson from Veterans Day weekend is clear: audiences are willing to turn out when there’s something engaging on the big screen.
The Information is Collected from IMDb and Yahoo.
