‘Venom’ sets October record; ‘Star’ also soars

NEW YORK — In a weekend of perfect counterprogramming for Hollywood, the comic-book movie “Venom” shrugged off bad reviews to shatter the October box-office record with an $80 million debut, while Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born” soared to $41.3 million.

With $174.5 million in tickets sold at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to com Score, it was easily the best October weekend ever thanks to two very different films that both outperformed expectations.

“Venom,” by Sony Pictures and starring Tom Hardy as the antihero who first appeared in 2007’s “Spider Man 3,” came in critically panned and much-doubted to kick-start a Marvel expansion away from “Spider-Man.” Warner Bros.’ remake “A Star Is Born” rode a wave of hype, Oscar buzz and acclaim for Cooper’s directorial debut and Lady Gaga’s first leading performance.

One was a very iffy proposition; the other a sure thing. Both worked big time.

Audiences flocked to “Venom” in record numbers, giving it a B-plus Cinema Score. The previous best October opening was 2013’s “Gravity” with $55.7 million (not adjusted for inflation). The most telling number that explained the film’s success was the 89 percent “fresh” audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. “Venom,” cost about $100 million to make (relatively modest for a superhero film) and grossed a total of $205.2 million globally.

While “Venom” attracted a younger, majority male audience, crowds for “A Star is Born” were more female, at 66 percent, and older, at 68 percent over 35.

Warner Bros., which premiered “A Star Is Born” last month at the Venice Film Festival, previewed the film in special advance screenings in the days ahead of opening, adding an additional $1.3 million in ticket sales. The fifth version of the oft-remade tale cost about $40 million to make.