‘Venom,’ ‘Star Is Born’ team up for a top October
In a weekend of perfect counter-programming 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 comScore, it was easily the best October weekend ever thanks to two very different films that both outperformed expectations.
“Venom” came in a critically panned, muchdoubted foray by Sony Pictures to kick-start a Marvel expansion away from “Spider-Man.”
Warner Bros.’ “A Star Is Born” remake rode a wave of hype, Oscar buzz and acclaim for Cooper’s directorial debut and Lady Gaga’s first leading performance.
“We knew we had a hit,” Warner Bros. distribution chief Jeffrey Goldstein said of “A Star Is Born.”
That was more in question for director Ruben Fleischer’s “Venom,” starring Tom Hardy as the antihero who first appeared in 2007’s “Spider-Man 3.”
The film earned a dismal 32 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In “Venom,” many expected another studio misfire with “cinematic universe” ambitions.
Yet audiences flocked to “Venom” in record numbers, giving it a B-plus CinemaScore. The previous best October opening was 2013’s “Gravity” with $55.7 million (not adjusted for inflation).
“The industry is absolutely on fire right now,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Final domestic figures will be released today.
1. “Venom”: $80 million 2. “A Star Is Born”:
$41.3 million 3. “Smallfoot”:
$14.9 million 4. “Night School”: $12.3 million 5. “The House With a Clock in Its Walls”: $7.3 million 6. “A Simple Favor”: $3.4 million 7. “The Nun”: $2.6 million 8. “Hell Fest”: $2.1 million 9. “Crazy Rich Asians”: $2.1 million 10. “MET Opera: Aida”: $1.2 million.