"Venom: The Last Dance," the newest and final installment in the "Venom" trilogy, hit the Chinese movie market on Wednesday, raking in 67.3 million yuan and setting a record for Marvel movies since the 2019 summer movie season when "Spider-Man: Far From Home" opened to 247 million yuan on its first day. 

A still image from "Venom: The Last Dance." [Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment]  

Directed and written by Kelly Marcel, "Venom: The Last Dance" is the latest anti-superhero story to hit Chinese theaters and features beleaguered journalist Eddie Brock and his alien symbiote buddy, Venom. In this final installment, Eddie and Venom are frantically on the run, pursued by adversaries including Marvel villain Knull and Xenophage, the deadly insect-like alien species that Knull controls. 

Besides Knull and his minions, the anti-hero duo are also wanted by law enforcement and military forces experimenting with symbiotes in a massive underground lab within the notorious Area 51, a military base in America that is connected to many extraterrestrial urban legends.

As the storyline unfolds, the film builds to a climactic battle where either Eddie or Venom must make a sacrifice to save the universe. This theme is encapsulated in the film's tagline, "till death do they part," as teased in promotional materials.

"Venom: The Last Dance" premiered in Chinese theaters on Oct. 23, two days before its North American debut. Amid a prolonged cold period within the Chinese film market, the film impressively grossed over 66.9 million yuan on its opening day. 

This strong opening highlights the continued charm of the "Venom" series within China, where the first installment of the trilogy earned a staggering 1.87 billion yuan in 2018. While the final performance of this new film remains uncertain, this robust start suggests a significant swift at a time when Hollywood blockbusters have generally been losing traction in the country.

A Venom horse installation set up as a photo op for guests at the Chinese premiere of "Venom: The Last Dance" in Beijing, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment] 

At the Chinese premiere for "Venom: The Last Dance," that was held on Tuesday in Beijing, the audience responded warmly after the advanced screening, as the film is visually exciting, action-packed and strikes an emotional chord with moviegoers as the final chapter in the "Venom" trilogy. 

Inspired by the comics and valuing fans' input, director Marcel recognized that with "Venom: The Last Dance" being the trilogy's conclusion it was crucial to deepen the relationship between Eddie and Venom, enriching the film with profound emotional elements. The filmmaker also noted that the duo's escape journey infuses the movie with cinematic motifs that are usually attributed to road trip movies. 

To appeal more to the Chinese audience, Sony Pictures Entertainment hired Chinese actor Jia Bing to voice Venom in the Chinese release of the film. They also created promotional materials that were inspired by Chinese culture, such as a poster for the film that is reminiscent of traditional Chinese art and based on the legend of Hou Yi, a divine archer from Chinese mythology who shot down nine of the ten suns, and an animated short produced using AI tools that was in the style of water-ink painting. 

Besides Jia Bing as the voice of Venom, the film also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Andy Serkis and Peggy Lu, an Asian-American actor who plays Mrs. Chen, a Chinese convenience store owner who befriends Eddie and Venom.

Caption: A special poster for "Venom: The Last Dance" created for the Chinese market that resembles traditional Chinese painting and is based on the myth of Hou Yi, a divine archer in Chinese mythology. [Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment] 

The film's protagonist Eddie (Venom) was once again played by actor Tom Hardy, who also took up the roles of writer and producer for the film. Although "Venom: The Last Dance" is intended to be the finale of the "Venom" trilogy, Hardy offered the following tease during a recent press event in Mexico: "Will we ever meet Spider-Man? You know… there are always possibilities. I couldn't possibly say anything because this is the last movie. Yeah, I would love that."

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