November 2024 went off the beaten path at the box office. Rather than the typical holiday season opening spurt of blockbuster fare, people have been indulging in a strange assortment of movies—everything from horror and sentimental animation to independent classics and, by all accounts, one where a toothy symbiote just won’t quit.
“Venom: The Last Dance” is bucking trend and history, holding onto the top of the box office for the third consecutive weekend. That sort of streak hasn’t occurred since 1989, when Look Who’s Talking held the top position into November before finally dipping behind Harlem Nights. It’s the first time in 35 years, per Rotten Tomatoes, that a film released in October has topped the box office into mid-November.
Although Venom isn’t breaking box office records, it took in $16.2 million in its third weekend and pushed its domestic total to a respectable $114.8 million in a mere 17 days. The performance is being compared to Taken 2’s run, which closed at about $160 million. With a global box office already passing $394 million, the movie has emerged as Sony’s highest-grossing film since Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse and among the top ten global box office hits of 2024. It’s a reminder that antiheroes still pack bite—and that well-timed release can truly work its magic.
But at the back of Venom, it’s been a fight. Lionsgate’s holiday comedy The Best Christmas Pageant Ever took the win over A24’s horror film Heretic in a photo finish, opening at $11.1 million to $11 million. For Lionsgate, it’s their opening above $5 million since Borderlands in August, and they’re hoping the holidayness of the movie will keep it in competition.
Heretic, conversely, has raked in rave reviews—standing at a fantastic 91% on the Tomatometer. It represents one of A24’s most successful wide-release debuts after Hereditary and The Civil War. Whether it’s critical success (and hype for Hugh Grant’s unique performance) will amount to long-term success is to be determined, but it’s the sort of slow-build hit A24 excels at.
Meanwhile, both horror and animation are standing firm in their own right. “The Wild Robot,” helmed by Chris Sanders, has gone stealthily from a medium success to a runaway hit. In its seventh week, it still grossed $6.6 million, taking its domestic box office over $130 million. It’s now the highest-grossing independent animated film since Coco and The Boss Baby in 2017, and it’s creeping closer to a $300 million worldwide total.
In the horror niche, “Smile 2” is proving serious longevity. It fell only 24.5% in its fourth weekend, taking its domestic total to $60.5 million and over $120 million globally. That performance virtually assures a third installment, rounding out a good year for Paramount, which also hit it big with Bob Marley: One Love.
Small movies and prestige fare are also generating their audience. Focus Features’ Conclave, featuring Ralph Fiennes, has been quietly gaining steam and has taken in $21.5 million in more than two weeks. It’s headed to be the studio’s biggest hit of the year. Indirectly, Sean Baker’s Anora widened to more than 1,100 theaters, bringing in $2.52 million last week. Though it might be flagging, it can still break into Neon’s all-time top five, a lineup that boasts giants such as Parasite and I, Tonya.
Not all movies are doing well, however. Sony’s Here, the Robert Zemeckis-directed film, flagged in its second weekend with a 50% slide, reaching $9.5 million. Given the director’s resume, it’s another disappointing performance in a shaky string of Zemeckis-Sony movies.
Meanwhile, back at A24, “We Live In Time” keeps going steady, contributing $2.21 million this week to reach $21.8 million total—its studio’s 12th largest release on record. Completing the top 10 is “Terrifier 3,” which has kept horror enthusiasts busy with a healthy $53.3 million total.
What is certain is that studios are waiting in the wings, keeping their big guns in reserve until the middle of the holiday season. The test lies ahead with Amazon/MGM’s “Red One,” a $200 million+ action-comedy featuring Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, and J.K. Simmons as Santa Claus. It’s the type of mass-appeal blockbuster designed to shake up the season—and potentially dethrone Venom from his throne.
Until then, the box office is a rainbow battleground, packed with genre variety and surprise victories. Whether superhero fan, holiday hijinks aficionado, cult creep, or emotional animation enthusiast, there’s never been a lack of reasons to get thee to the theater this November. And with the holidays themselves looming on the horizon, the best is perhaps still to come.