‘Venom’ Tops ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ With Record Opening Day In China

Sony’s Venom film starring Tom Hardy has managed a record debut in China, opening at the Middle Kingdom’s box office higher than Sony’s co-production with Marvel Studios, Spider-Man: Homecoming.

The Spider-Man spin-off grossed $34.2 million in China on Friday. According to Forbes, the anti-hero flick is targeting a $95 million-plus opening weekend. The film was able to best opening day records for other Marvel Studios films including Captain America: Civil War ($30M) and Avengers: Age of Ultron ($33M). It has also set the record for second-biggest day for a superhero movie topping many of Marvel’s most recent blockbusters including Ant-Man and the Wasp ($24M), and Black Panther ($22.7M), and most notably Spider-Man: Homecoming ($21.6M).

Domestically, the film which features Hardy in the starring role of the reporter-turned-Spider-Man nemesis, Eddie Brock has managed $200 million at the box office, crossing the $500 million mark worldwide.

Directed by Ruben Fleischer from a script by Jeff Pinkner & Scott Rosenberg and Kelly Marcel, the film stars Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze, Reid Scott, Jenny Slate, Ron Cephas Jones, and Woody Harrelson.

One of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters takes center stage as Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) becomes the host for the alien symbiote Venom. As a journalist, Eddie has been trying to take down the notorious founder of the Life Foundation, genius Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) – and that obsession ruined his career and his relationship with his girlfriend, Anne Weying (Michelle Williams).

Upon investigating one of Drake’s experiments, the alien Venom merges with Eddie’s body, and he suddenly has incredible new superpowers, as well as the chance to do just about whatever he wants. Twisted, dark, unpredictable, and fueled by rage, Venom leaves Eddie wrestling to control dangerous abilities that he also finds empowering and intoxicating. As Eddie and Venom need each other to get what they’re looking for, they become more and more intertwined — where does Eddie end and Venom begin?

Venom is now playing.

Source: Forbes