'Venom' Sets New October Opening Record With $80 Million Launch

October has kicked off with the biggest weekend in the month’s box office history, thanks to the release of Columbia’s “Venom” and Warner Bros.’ “A Star Is Born.” “Venom” leads the charts with an $80 million opening from 4,250 screens, blowing by the $55.7 million start of “Gravity” to set the new top opening for an October release.

Even though it has been mostly panned by critics with a 32 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, fans of Spider-Man’s antihero counterpart embraced the film, giving it a B+ on CinemaScore.

With a reported budget of $100 million, Sony has kept costs down for the first of several planned Spidey spinoffs, as the film has earned an estimated global start of $205 million. Korea was the top overseas market with $16.4 million, followed by Russia with $13.6 million. Those totals already beat the lifetimes for “Justice League” and “Wonder Woman” in those countries.

Also Read: 'Venom' Scores Record $10 Million at Thursday Box Office, 'A Star Is Born' Shines With $3.2 Million

The longterm success of “Venom” will depend on whether interest from hardcore fans will lead to general audiences seeing the film in the coming weeks. If not, it may end up being a more front-loaded film like “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” which opened to $91 million but just barely passed the $200 million domestic mark during its run. On the international side, the film, which was co-financed by Tencent, has yet to receive a release date in China.

“A Star Is Born,” meanwhile, has earned one of the top 10 largest October openings ever with a $42.6 million start from 3,686 screens. Made on a budget said to be approximately $36-40 million, Bradley Cooper’s awards contender is expected to have a long shelf life at the box office, with a domestic run of more than $150 million based on previous wide releases like “Gone Girl.”

Though a likely Oscar winner like “A Star Is Born” can’t really be called counter-programming, it was certainly an alternative that women and older audiences took while the majority of younger men went to go see “Venom.” According to WB, two-thirds of the audience was female, while 68 percent was over the age of 35.

Also Read: 'A Star Is Born' Is a Legit Oscar Contender - And Here's What Else Is

The success of “A Star Is Born” can also be seen on iTunes, where songs from the film’s soundtrack currently occupy five of the top six spots on the site’s download charts. Leading the way is Lady Gaga’s “Shallow,” which was dropped as a single prior to the film’s release.

Combined, the two new film releases have pushed total grosses for the weekend to over $170 million, passing the $158 million made during the opening weekend of “The Martian” in 2015 for the biggest weekend in October box office history.

Last week’s release, “Smallfoot,” finished third with $14.4 million and a $42.2 million 10-day total, followed by Universal’s “Night School” with $12.3 million and a $46.7 million 10-day total. Universal’s “The House With a Clock in Its Walls” completes the top five with $7.3 million in its third weekend.

The Evolution of Tom Hardy: From 'Band of Brothers' to 'Venom' (Photos)

Tom Hardy has done it all. He's played witty rogues, brutal villains and brooding heroes. Take a look back at the English actor's career trajectory.
HBO/ Warner Bros./ FX
Hardy's first big screen role came in 2001 on the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers" as Pvt. John Janovec, a replacement soldier whose first scene features him getting caught having sex with a German woman by his commanding officer.
HBO
That same year, Hardy had another small role as a soldier in "Black Hawk Down," a war film about the bloody Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia between U.S. forces and rebel militias that have started a civil war.
Columbia Pictures
Before becoming Bane, Hardy got some practice playing a supervillain in the maligned "Star Trek: Nemesis." He played Shinzon, a clone of Captain Picard who has staged a rebellion against the Romulan government, forcing the Enterprise to come to the aid of their most hostile foes.
Paramount
Following "Nemesis," Hardy took roles in several English plays and TV movies. He received an Olivier nomination for his work in the play "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" as a failed actor who has fallen into a crack cocaine addiction.
Hampstead Theatre
Hardy made his return to the big screen in 2006 when he donned a powdered wig and strolled into Versailles in "Marie Antoinette."
Columbia Pictures
2008 saw Hardy join Guy Ritchie for the crime film "RocknRolla" as a closeted gay member of the "Wild Bunch" gang. The film also starred Gerard Butler and Idris Elba.
Warner Bros.
Hardy had his breakthrough in 2010 as the dashing forger Eames in Christopher Nolan's "Inception." The actor won over moviegoers with his quick wit and banter with Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Warner Bros.
Hardy then got a shot at some more serious fare alongside Gary Oldman and Colin Firth in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." Hardy played Ricki Tarr, a spy framed for murder who claims there is a mole hidden in British Intelligence.
Focus Features
In 2011, Hardy underwent intense MMA training to bulk up for "Warrior," the story of a Marine who slowly begins to reconcile with his estranged father and brother after he enters into a high-stakes tournament.
Lionsgate
Hardy reunited with Nolan in 2012 to play one of his most iconic roles: Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises." Hardy's "Warrior" physique, breathing mask, and unmistakable accent made him an instant hit with Batman fans.
Warner Bros.
In 2014, Hardy performed alongside the late James Gandolfini in his final film, "The Drop." Hardy played a bartender at a tavern that stores money for the mafia. Hardy tries to balance his boss' life of crime with his attempts to lead a normal life, but a dark secret threatens to drag him back into a world of violence.
Fox Searchlight
The same year, Hardy joined the cast of the British crime drama "Peaky Blinders" as a Jewish gang leader named Alfie Solomons. The show's creator, Oscar-nominated writer Steven Knight, would go on to co-create "Taboo" with Hardy.
BBC
2015 was a massive year for Hardy, as he appeared in five films. In "Legend," he played a set of gangster twins with the aid of special effects.
Universal
But the biggest moment of his career came through not one but two Oscar-nominated films. In the summer, he succeeded Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky in the critically acclaimed "Mad Max: Fury Road."
Warner Bros.
Then, in the winter, Hardy earned his first Oscar nomination for his performance as the murderous John Fitzgerald in "The Revenant."
20th Century Fox
Hardy reunited with Christopher Nolan for a third time in the 2017 World War II film "Dunkirk," about the evacuation of over 300,000 Allied soldiers from the titular French town.
Warner Bros.
Also in 2017, Hardy played the lead role in "Taboo," a miniseries he developed with his father, Edward, and Steven Knight, about an adventurer who returns to London in 1812 to help rebuild his family's shipping empire.
FX
In 2018's "Venom," Hardy played a reporter named Eddie Brock who gets bonded to a symbiote that's part of an invasion of Earth -- but decides to protect the planet instead.
Sony
Hardy returned Eddie/Venom in the 2021 sequel "Venom: Let There Be Carnage," taking on another symbiote bonded to serial killer Cletus Kasady. Oh, and the weird romance between the two is kicked up a notch.
Sony