Venom dominates North American movie theaters

LOS ANGELES - Sony's superhero film, Venom, dominated the North American box office with an estimated $80.03 million on its opening weekend, marking the biggest October opening ever.

Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, the film is directed by Ruben Fleischer and stars Tom Hardy as the lethal protector Venom, one of Marvel's most enigmatic, complex and daring characters. The plot follows journalist Eddie Brock, who is bound to an alien symbiote that gives him superpowers.

Venom topped the previous October opening weekend record of $55.7 million set by 2013's science-fiction film Gravity released by Warner Bros Pictures. The film has earned an epic $205.2 million globally, a new record for the month, according to studio figures collected by comScore.