Venom just had the best October opening weekend ever
The world may have enough superheroes, but audiences can't seem to get enough of comic book movies.
Venom, Sony's new film about the popular Spider-Man villain that cuts Spider-Man out of the picture entirely, blew away expectations this weekend by grossing $80 million in the U.S, per Box Office Mojo. This is quite easily the biggest October opening weekend ever; the previous record-holder was 2013's Gravity, which opened to $55 million.
With this showing, Venom far surpassed the Friday estimates that had put it closer to $60 million, Deadline reported at the time. Worldwide, the movie took in a total of $205 million. Considering the budget is estimated to only be about $100 million, per Forbes, this is a big win for Sony and indicates that its planned universe of films based on Spider-Man characters is good to go. Impressively, the movie also bested Marvel Studios' Ant-Man and the Wasp, which opened to $75 million over the summer.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Venom saw this success despite toxic reviews, with critics panning the film and with its Rotten Tomatoes score sitting at 31 percent. But average viewers seemed to disagree, as CinemaScore found that a sampling of moviegoers from around the country gave Venom a rating of B+. It remains to be seen how the film will continue to perform in the coming weeks, but this great debut is already enough for Sony to feel satisfied.
-
Ryanair/SpaceX: could Musk really buy the airline?Talking Point Irish budget carrier has become embroiled in unlikely feud with the world’s wealthiest man
-
Claudette Colvin: teenage activist who paved the way for Rosa ParksIn The Spotlight Inspired by the example of 19th century abolitionists, 15-year-old Colvin refused to give up her seat on an Alabama bus
-
5 contentious cartoons about Donald Trump at DavosCartoons Artists take on weaponized tariffs, a cheeky offering, and more
-
‘One Battle After Another’ wins Critics Choice honorsSpeed Read Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, won best picture at the 31st Critics Choice Awards
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
