If box office predictions are to be believed, Sony’s in for some good news with their latest Spider-Verse venture,Venom. The outright villain-turned-antihero in the pages of Marvel Comics and throughout all other media will get his first title treatment inRuben Fleischer’s decidedly different take on comic book superhero cinema, one that has Oscar-nomineeTom Hardyset to play the title role and his human alter ego, Eddie Brock.
AsTHRreports, box office targets forVenomare currently somewhere in the range of $55 to $65 million in domestic ticket sales during the weekend of October 5th. THR’s sources, whoever they may be, place the pic on the high end, while Sony insiders are playing a bit more conservative with their estimates. Either way,Venomis poised to perform better than the top October debut weekend of all time,Alfonso Cuarón’s 2013 sci-fi picGravity, which took home $55.8 million (not adjusted for inflation). Comparable competition includesThe Martianwith $54.3 million andParanormal Activity 3with $52.6 million.Venomcould either eke by these marks or blow them out of the water. Hardy stars alongsideWoody Harrelson,Riz Ahmed,Michelle Williams,Jenny SlateandScott Hazein the $100 million-budgeted film co-produced by China’s multinational conglomerate, Tencent.
Complicating matters will be the same-date release of Warner Bros.‘A Star Is Born, the feature directorial debut of starBradley Cooperthat co-starsLady Gagain the lead. The studio is aiming for a $25 million domestic debut while insiders are more confident, predicting $28 to $30 million. The buzzworthy film is already a critical darling. Its debut at the Venice International Film Festival was well-received, and the praise continued during its recent screening atTIFF. Our ownAdam Chitwoodlikes its Oscar chances, andMatt Goldberggave it a B+in his review.
The official synopsis describes the film as a “new take on the tragic love story, [Cooper] plays seasoned musician Jackson Maine, who discovers—and falls in love with—struggling artist Ally (Gaga). She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer… until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally’s career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.”
Which film(s) will you be seeing the first weekend in October? Let us know in the comments below!
