Venom Vs. Lady Gaga Is Turning Into 2018’s Ugliest Box Office Battle

The biggest October box office opening of all-time belongs to Gravity, which pulled in $55.7 million during its first three days of release in 2013. If early projections hold, Sandra Bullock and George Clooney will be usurped by the walking, slurping tongue that is Venom. The Tom Hardy-starring film is expected to make $60-$70 million this weekend, which would not only shatter the previous record, but also overshadow the forecasted box office total for the other big release this week. Deadline reported that a “mid to high $20Ms start is the sweet spot right now” for A Star Is Born, but that was two weeks ago.

Since then, the musical-drama, a remake of a remake of a remake, has become a meme sensation, with sparkling reviews (95 percent “Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes); deafening Best Picture buzz; and A-listers Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper (and, um, Andrew Dice Clay) making the promotional rounds. The opening weekend gap between the films has likely closed since mid-September, especially now that the largely-negative first reactions to Venom are out. (It probably didn’t help that star Tom Hardy said his “favorite 40 minutes” of scenes didn’t make the final cut. And that he wishes it was rated R, not PG-13.)

Venom is still a superhero movie, though, and superhero movies reign supreme at the box office, which is one of the reasons why Lady Gaga stans are reportedly trying to sabotage Venom‘s opening weekend. “Just got back from seeing #Venom in theatre .. So disappointed. Lots of democrat nonsense, pushing LGBT agenda down throat too. Disgusted. I can’t believe I am saying this but I might have to take the kids to see #AStarIsBorn tomorrow to make up for the terrible night. Very sad,” one odds-on fake tweet reads, while another goes, “Just got back from seeing #Venom⁠ in theatre .. So disappointed. Lots of democrat nonsense, pushing LGBT agenda down throat too. Disgusted. I can’t believe I am saying this but I might have to take the kids to see #AStarIsBorn⁠ ⁠tomorrow to make up for the terrible night. Very sad.” Sensing a trend yet

— william (@Yves__new) October 2, 2018

Just got back from seeing #Venom⁠ in theatre..So disappointed. Lots of democrat nonsense, pushing LGBT agenda down throat too.Disgusted. I can’t believe I am saying this but I might have to take the kids to see #AStarIsBorn⁠ ⁠tomorrow to make up for the terrible night.very sad

— SinB’s No.1 (@SinBDaily) October 2, 2018

Beware of fake #Venom movie reviews. There are people trying to promote Lady Gaga's #AStarIsBorn and are fabricating negative reviews. Look out for bots and only trust proper and regular reviewers. pic.twitter.com/v9xznuN5R7

— Marvel Mania™ (@marvel_maniac_) October 2, 2018

Many of the Venom-sinking tweets hail “from” middle-aged moms like Anne Harrison (“Christian – Married – 30 – No HATE tolerated – worship my feet -3 kids – Madonna is a hag – parody queen”), who wrote, “I saw #Venom last night and had to leave halfway through, my children wouldn’t stop crying at how bad it was. Luckily a second pre screening of #AStarIsBorn was about to start, and now we are all crying, tears of amazement. Please pray for my eldest he is still in a coma.” (Among other issues, that is not how early screenings work.)

One of the pro-Gaga trolls told BuzzFeed News that “us Gaga fans [are] creating fake ids to trash Venom premiere. They both are getting released on the same day so we want more audience for A Star Is Born.” Another said that it started as “a joke between two of my mutuals, we steal each other tweets.”

To make matters even more confusing, there are now Venom fans attacking DC fans for posing as Gaga fans and satirical A Star Is Born-sinking tweets, criticizing the film for being “completely filled with Neo-Nazi propaganda and Bradley Coopers character constantly muttered the phrase the ‘South will rise again.’ Taking my 8 kids and 9 grandchildren to see #Venom instead.”

— I Mighta Just Shidded (@iijustshidded) October 2, 2018

There’s also the “I am the biggest Marvel fan…” folks:

— Derrick (@derrickg1126) October 2, 2018

i am the biggest marvel fan but i’m very disappointed with the way the new #Venom⁠ ⁠ movie turned out! Probably the worst Marvel movie ever! Together with my husband and children I decided to watch #AStarIsBorn and we were very surprised how amazing that movie was!

— jee (@arianaIdelrey) October 2, 2018

I am the biggest marvel fan but I just watched #Venom⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠ and I don't know what to say. Easily the worst movie this year. I expected so much better and now I'm just disappointed but Tom hardy I am a hole sir, I am nothing but a hole sir

— ビヨンセ (@YONCESTUNTIN) October 2, 2018

i am the biggest marvel fan but i’m very disappointed with the way the new #Venom⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠ movie turned out! Probably the worst Marvel movie ever! Together with my husband and children I decided to watch #AStarIsBorn and we were very surprised how amazing that movie was!

— Kendaliah✨ (@ayeqt) October 2, 2018

i am the biggest marvel fan but I just watched #Venom⁠ ⁠⁠and I don't know what to say. Easily the worst movie this year. I expected so much better and now I'm just disappointed

— J Pearls (@JPearls3) October 2, 2018

The voice of reason in all this: Gaga Daily.

— Gaga Daily (@gagadaily) October 2, 2018

Venom vs A Star Is Born (an actual monster vs. Little Monsters!) is shaping up to be one of the year’s most fascinating box office battles, and the ugliest. It’s enough to make you want to shout ahhhhh-ah-ah-ah-aaahh-ooohhh-ahhh.

Hey.

Stay tuned for our Weekend Box Office Report.