NEW YORK (AP) — “Venom: The Last Dance” has been no blockbuster in North American theaters. But in a lethargic fall moviegoing season, even a so-so performing superhero sequel can rule the box office for three straight weeks.
For the third weekend in a row, “Venom: The Last Dance” was the No. 1 movie at the box office, collecting $16.2 million in ticket sales in U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. It fended off a pair of new challengers in the Hugh Grant horror thriller “Heretic” and the feel-good holiday movie “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”
With the election on Tuesday, the major studios opted not to put any new releases into theaters. That allowed Sony Pictures’ “Venom: The Last Dance,” the third entry in the Tom Hardy-led franchise, to hold its position.
While “The Last Dance” hasn’t been a huge hit domestically — opening below expectations in late October — it has thrived…
