Weekend Box Office Report: October 5-7, 2018

Venom chomps into box office records!

The deadly black symbiote and his human host Tom Hardy pounced into first place this weekend as VENOM took the top spot with an estimated opening of $80 million!

The toothy antihero squashed the record for biggest October opening weekend, easily snatching the title from Alfonso Cuaron's GRAVITY, which had a $55.7 million opening in 2013. VENOM also pulled in $10 million of its total just from Thursday night previews, setting another record.

The lethal protector's opening is the second-biggest for Hardy behind his villain role in another comic book blockbuster THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, which started out with $160 million in the summer of 2012.

Based on Spider-Man's famous foe (but omitting that webbed superhero from this version), the first chapter in Sony's own attempted Marvel Universe also grasped an additional $125 million from international crowds for a worldwide weekend of $205 million.

Also featuring Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed, the PG-13 comic adaptation from ZOMBIELAND director Ruben Fleischer cost a reported $100 million.

Most critics didn't get a thrill from the story of Hardy's journalist Eddie Brock and his violent sticky passenger, giving the movie a 32% average on Rotten Tomatoes. You can merge with the JoBlo reviews HERE and HERE.

Opening in second place was the R-rated drama A STAR IS BORN with $41.2 million for the weekend.

The movie had previews earlier in the week, pushing its domestic total to $42.6 million. The new remake of the musical romance, this time starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper (who also directed), cost a reported $36 million.

Already buzzed as an awards contender, the latest update of the music biz tale also charmed $14 million from overseas audiences for a worldwide total of $56.6 million.

Critics were enamored with the appealing screen duo, giving the movie a 91% average on Rotten Tomatoes. Get in tune with the JoBlo review right HERE.

In third place was the animated family movie SMALLFOOT with $14.9 million, slipping by only 35% from its opening last weekend. The PG-rated Yeti comedy has a ten-day domestic total of $42.7 million, and a worldwide total of $75.2 million (on a reported $80 million cost).

The Kevin Hart / Tiffany Haddish comedy NIGHT SCHOOL was in fourth place with $12.2 million, a drop of 55% from last week's first-place opening. The $29 million PG-13 movie from GIRLS TRIP director Malcolm D. Lee has a ten-day domestic total of $46.7 million, and $58.7 million worldwide so far.

Director Eli Roth's dark fantasy THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS was in fifth with $7.2 million on its third weekend, taking the PG-rated  Jack Black/Cate Blanchett horror-comedy to $55 million domestic and $79.3 million worldwide on a reported $42 million cost.

In sixth place was the R-rated Anna Kendrick/Blake Lively thriller A SIMPLE FAVOR with $3.4 million. After four weekends, director Paul Feig's $20 million mystery (adapted from Darcey Bell's book) has a domestic total of $49 million and a worldwide total of $76.4 million.

R-rated THE CONJURING spinoff THE NUN was in seventh with $2.6 million, scaring its way to a domestic total of $113.3 million and conjuring up an impressive worldwide total of $346.6 million (on a $22 million reported cost).

Another Halloween season release followed in eighth as the serial killer movie HELL FEST made another $2 million, slashed by 60% from last weekend's debut. The R-rated horror flick has gathered a ten-day total of $8.8 million domestic on a $5.5 million budget.

The PG-13 romantic comedy CRAZY RICH ASIANS was in ninth place with $2 million. Director Jon Chu's $30 million adaptation of the novel now has a domestic total of $169.1 million and a worldwide total of $225.9 million after two months in theaters.

Director Shane Black's sequel THE PREDATOR was at the bottom with under $1 million for the weekend. The R-rated $88 million sci-fi movie has collected a domestic total of $49.9 million, and a worldwide total of $123.3.

Outside the chart, the Matthew McConaughey crime-drama WHITE BOY RICK and the Jennifer Garner revenge thriller PEPPERMINT both deparated.

In limited release, the drama THE HATE U GIVE had a $500k weekend on 36 screens, ahead of its wide opening on October 19th. Response from critics has been strong with a 96% average on Rotten Tomatoes. 

And although Rowan Atkinson's secret agent buffoon doesn't reach North America until later this month, the spy comedy sequel JOHNNY ENGLISH STRIKES AGAIN has already gathered $66.5 million from its run in overseas theaters.

Next weekend has Drew Goddard's R-rated thriller BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE, Ryan Gosling heads into space in FIRST MAN, and family-friendly frights occur in GOOSEBUMPS 2: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN.

What is your favorite Tom Hardy performance? VOTE HERE!