Holy. Shit.
Even with all of the negative press leading into its release, Columbia Pictures’ Venom bonded with audiences to received a B+ CinemaScore. Whether critics liked it or not, the Ruben Fleischer-directed Spider-Man spinoff was a monstrous hit, pulling in not only $80M here in the States, but another $125M internationally for an estimated $205M global opening. Get this, it hasn’t even opened in China yet!
For perspective, this opening will be an October record previously held by Gravity, which celebrated $55.7M. Also, even more shocking, Venom‘s opening is bigger than any of the Spider-Man movies. Ever. For even more perspective, if this had actually been a horror movie (as originally promised), it would have been the largest horror opening ever. As you may recall, New Line Cinema’s IT opened to $158M worldwide. Venom should top $700M through its theatrical life.
Tom Hardy puts on a performance for the ages as the title character and Eddie Brock, Riz Ahmed’s Carlton Drake becomes one with Riot, and Michelle Williams appears as Eddie’s love interest, Anne Weying. In the film, Drake retrieves alien symbiote that in turn are intent on devouring Earth. Hardy’s Eddie Brock/Venom must stop him.
The film’s budget is being reported in the $100M range, which means about a $200M total spend on the film. A safe breakeven point would be estimated somewhere between $300M-$400M worldwide. Domestic should top $200M alone, which means a sequel is probably already in the works. Hardcore comic fans will finally get to see Cletus Kasady’s Carnage on the big screen, which will be played by Woody Harrelson.
The Eli Roth-directed The House With a Clock In Its Walls added $7.2M for a $55 domestic total and only $79 worldwide. On a $42 reported budget, things aren’t looking so hot for this Jack Black-starrer children’s comedy. Elsewhere, CBS Films’ Hell Fest added $2M domestic for a global total of $9.5M, New Line Cinema’s Conjuring spinoff The Nun is sitting at $346M worldwide, and Fox’s Shane Black-directed The Predator continues to die a quick death, dropping another 76% to a $900,000 weekend and $123M worldwide total. The budget is a reported massive $88M and looking at major losses.
Updating throughout the morning as international numbers are reported.
