To say that Sony’s Venom had bite would actually be understating things quite a bit, as the Rueben Fleischer-directed, Tom Hardy-starring film webbed up the biggest October debut in history.
Venom landed on top of the box office with an outstanding $80 million. This was significantly higher than most predicted, and comes in the face of divisive reviews (you can read Scotty G’s take here). However, Venom comes with a built-in audience of superhero movie and Marvel fans who were clearly willing to pony up their cash to see the anti-hero get his own film. It will be interesting to see how Venom holds over the coming weeks. While I think a $200 million North American tally is nearly out of the question, there’s always a chance. Regardless, the film’s success bodes well for Sony’s desire to create a new interconnected world that will include characters like Morbius The Living Vampre, Silver Sable, and Black Cat.
While Venom is the clear number one at the box office, A Star Is Born debut strong with $41 million to land in second place. This is a fantastic number and, while I’m doubtful Venom will have legs over the coming weeks, there’s little question that A Star Is Born is gearing up for a lengthy run at the box office. Reviews have been stellar, and word of mouth is going to keep this movie going through October and into November. Kudos to both Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, who have been all over the media, letting every know about the film.
As for the rest of the top five, Smallfoot was in third place with $14.9 million, while Night School dropped from first place with fourth with $12 million. The House With A Clock In Its Walls closed things out in fifth place with $7 million.
So, to recap, here were our predictions:
1) Venom – $60 million
2) A Star Is Born -$47 million
3) Smallfoot – $14 million
4) Night School -$13 million
5) The House With A Clock In Its Walls – $9 million
And here’s how the weekend is estimated to turn out:
1) Venom – $80 million
2) A Star Is Born -$41 million
3) Smallfoot – $14.9 million
4) Night School -$12 million
5) The House With A Clock In Its Walls – $7 million
Next weekend sees the release of Bad Times at the El Royale, First Man, and Goosebumps 2. Be sure to check back on Friday to see our predictions.
