With the sinister symbiote slated to slither into theaters next month, we’ve finally received word of just how much damage we can expect Sony’s Venom spinoff to inflict upon the box office once it’s released. Initially believed to fall somewhere between $30 and $50 million, the film, starring Tom Hardy as the cantankerous Klyntar, is now headed towards a much more monstrous debut. At least, that’s according to Deadline.
Scheduled to release on October 5th, Venom‘s said to be presently eyeing a huge $60-$70 million opening weekend which, if gauged correctly, would see the Marvel Entertainment production break the box office record held by Alfonso Cuarón’s seven-time Academy Award-winning picture Gravity.
That’s the film which can currently lay claim to the largest domestic opening weekend in October, at an out of this world $55.7 million. However, if analysts’ estimations hold true, Venom should be able to trounce that figure with the utmost of ease. I mean, even at the low end of its projection ($60 million), it’ll be able to steal the crown from Gravity.
Still without an MPAA rating, Venom is evidently the foundation on which the studio will begin to push out a number of other Marvel spinoffs – including Morbius the Living Vampire, Silk and Jackpot – to create their very own cinematic universe. It should be said, though, that piecing together a shared motion picture realm similar to that of the MCU is no easy feat. Just ask WB and DC, who’ve struggled to emulate Marvel’s success over the years.
If these projections for Venom – co-starring Michelle Williams as Anne Weying and Riz Ahmed as Carlton Drake/Riot – hold true though, and the solo debut of the cantankerous Klyntar goes over well, you can expect the SUMC to start taking shape at an alarming rate.