‘Venom’ Set to Obliterate October Opening Weekend Record

The October box office is off to an unprecedented start this weekend, as Columbia Pictures’ “Venom” is currently estimated to obliterate this month’s opening weekend record with an $81.7 million start from 4,250 screens.If that estimate holds, it would be 46 percent ahead of the previous October record set by “Gravity” five years ago with $55.7 million.

Even the more conservative $70 million estimate Sony is projecting would be 25 percent above the record.

“Venom” earned $32.8 million — including an October record $10 million from Thursday previews — and performed solidly with Marvel fans with a B+ on CinemaScore.With critics giving the film just a 31 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, we will see if the approval from hardcore Spider-Man fans translates into interest with general audiences to sustain the film in later weeks.

Another Sony film that earned a B+ on CinemaScore,

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