Lady Gaga Fans Accused of Writing Fake ‘Venom’ Reviews to Support ‘A Star Is Born’
A feud is born.
On Oct. 5, two films will premiere: Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born” and Tom Hardy’s “Venom.” Despite the fact that “A Star Is Born” has already drummed up significant hype, garnering a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and awards buzz, Gaga’s fan base is apparently taking it upon themselves to make sure the movie gets as much opening day attention as “Venom.”
Once the social media embargo for “Venom” broke following the superhero movie’s red carpet premiere on Monday night, some Twitter users noticed negative reviews floating around Twitter — but it was noted that many of these critics used the same exact wording.
Okay, something is up. The negativity around the #Venom movie is looking very artificial. pic.twitter.com/f5LWF3z7Xd
— Nobody In California (@NobodyInCali) October 2, 2018
One tweet that seems to be copy and pasted by several accounts reads, “i am the biggest marvel fan but I just watched #Venom and I don’t know what to say.”
When reached by BuzzFeed, one of the accounts who shared a fake negative review of “Venom” told the outlet, “It’s us Gaga fans creating fake IDs to trash the ‘Venom’ premiere. They both are getting released on the same day, so we want more audience for ‘A Star Is Born.'”
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.
— Anne Harrison (@AnneHarrisonMom) October 2, 2018
While official reviews for “Venom” have not yet been released, fans who are rooting for the Sony comic-book film have taken to similar tactics to fight back on Twitter.
#Venom is the featured movie on @Fandango AND you get a free gift when you buy tickets??? Such a better deal than Lady GaGa’s #AStarIsBorn ! pic.twitter.com/jAK7TEugKy
— Aaron Saw the Venom Movie BTW (@Bizarnage) October 2, 2018
I wasn’t sure i’d watch #Venom on opening weekend but now i think i just might go see it twice this weekend, with a bunch of friends and family too. This is pathetic as hell. https://t.co/AE0NAs3Pl7
— Jad (@Jad0717) October 2, 2018
Warner Bros. and Sony, the studios behind “A Star Is Born” and “Venom,” respectively, have not yet responded to Variety‘s request for comment.
Early tracking points to “Venom” winning this box office war handily, but it might be not be as black-and-white as some fans think. “Venom” is eyeing a debut of around $65 million, while “A Star Is Born” is aiming for an opening in the mid-$20 millions — both solid premieres. However, “A Star Is Born” likely has a significantly lower production budget than a superhero tentpole like “Venom.” The two titles are also targeting drastically different audiences.
Related stories
'Venom' Special Audio Clip to Play on Amazon Alexa Devices for Fandango Users
Lady Gaga Drops 'A Star Is Born' Single 'Shallow' (Watch)
How Las Vegas Got Its Groove Back
Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts!