The Last Dance’ Sets Theatrical Release in China

Columbia Pictures’ “Venom: The Last Dance” has received approval for an Oct. 23, 2024, theatrical release date in China.

The date is coordinated with the film’s release in other international territories and is two days ahead of its outing in North America.

All foreign films seeking entry into China are subject to import controls and to censorship. Most revenue-sharing titles are additionally required to be handled through a state-owned releasing enterprise. And films may be edited to make them suitable for audiences of all ages, which is a legal requirement in China.

Though these control systems have sometimes impeded the flow of Hollywood studio movies into China, authorities are currently doing little to prevent wide exploitation of top titles. Currently on release, “Alien: Romulus” received a day-and-date outing and has gone on to earn some $101 million at the Chinese box office, a total that exceeds the film’s haul in North America.

“Venom,” the first film in the three-picture franchise, scored a massive $262 million on its release in China in late 2018. That too was higher than the $212 million that “Venom” earned in the North American market and represented roughly a third of the picture’s worldwide gross.

The 2021 sequel, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” was initially given a China date, but with the country under various COVID restrictions, the release did not go ahead.

“Venom: The Last Dance” would normally be expected to benefit from the roughly six-week promotional window between green-light and release in theaters. But it is unclear if the omission of “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” has dampened Chinese audiences’ appetite for the franchise.

The original “Venom” counted Tencent Pictures among its investors and producers, a significant element that “Venom: The Last Dance” does not have going for it. Tencent is the operator of China’s largest social media…