Can 'First Man' Best Venom and Bradley Cooper?
by EG
This weekend is shaping up to be bruising contest at the box office as astronaut biopic First Man enters the fray against two strong holdovers. Read on for predictions of how it might go.
If its mission is successful, the astronaut biographical drama First Man will help in continuing to fuel an October boom at the domestic box office, although it may not be able to blast past holdovers Venom or A Star Is Born.
Reuniting acclaimed filmmaker Damien Chazelle with his La La Land star Ryan Gosling, First Man is a visceral and personal retelling of Neil Armstrong's journey to the moon in 1969. From Universal, the critically acclaimed movie is tracking to debut in the $18 million-$20 million range when unfurling nationwide, on par with Ben Affleck's Oscar-winning film Argo (2012).
Comparisons to La La Land (2016) or Chazelle's Whiplash (2014) are tough, since both of those pics debuted first in select theaters. First Man, costing a gross $70 million to produce, co-stars Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Armstrong, Corey Stoll and Lukas Haas.
First Man couldn't have anticipated the record-breaking strength of Venom and A Star Is Born, which opened last weekend to $80.3 million and $42.9 million, respectively. Venom scored the top opening of all time for the month of October, which has never been considered a landing pad for mega-openings; rather, it has been home to adult-skewing award contenders, such as Argo, Bridge of Spies or Captain Phillips, that can have long legs.
Venom, a superhero pic from Sony featuring Tom Hardy as the Marvel antihero, could easily earn $30 million or more in its sophomore outing. A Star Is Born, starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, could take in anywhere from $26 million to $30 million.
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
Are going to see a movie this weekend? Let us know which one in the comments below.