'Venom' dominates North American movie theaters

LOS ANGELES -- Sony's superhero film "Venom" dominated North American box office with an estimated 80.03 million U.S. dollars in 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 Oscar nominated actor Tom Hardy as the lethal protector Venom, one of Marvel's most enigmatic, complex and badass characters. The plot follows a 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 dollars set by 2013's science fiction film "Gravity" released by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film has earned an epic 205.2 million dollars globally, a new record for the month, according to studio figures collected by comScore.

"The highest grossing October weekend of all time is on the books with a massive 174.5 million dollars industry total as powered by the one-two punch of 'Venom' and 'A Star Is Born.' This easily tops the 151.5 million dollars earned over the same weekend in 2015 when 'The Martian' led the weekend," wrote movie analyst Paul Dergarabedian at comScore in an email to Xinhua.

"Venom," which cost a reported around 100 million dollars to make, received a "B+" rating from moviegoers on CinemaScore, but it received a generally negative reviews from critics with a mere 32 percent certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Warner Bros.' romantic drama "A Star Is Born" opened second with an estimated 41.25 million dollars in its first weekend, well above expectations.

Costing a modest 40 million dollars to produce, the remake of the 1937's film of the same name is directed by Bradley Cooper, in his directorial debut, and stars Cooper and pop singer Lady Gaga among others. The plot follows a hard-drinking musician who discovers and falls in love with a young singer, Lady Gaga's first lead role on the big screen.

Warner Bros.' animated film "Smallfoot" came in third with an estimated 14.9 million dollars in its second weekend, pushing its North American total to 42.76 million dollars.

Directed by Karey Kirkpatrick, the film features the voices of James Corden, Channing Tatum and Danny DeVito among others. The film, loosely based on the book "Yeti Tracks" by Sergio Pablos, follows a group of Himalayan Yeti who come across a human, with each species thinking the other was just a myth.

Universal's comedy "Night School" moved to fourth with an estimated 12.27 million dollars in its second weekend. Directed by Malcolm D. Lee and starring Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish, the film follows a group of young adults who set out to earn their General Equivalency Diplomas (GEDs).

Universal's fantasy comedy film "House With A Clock In Its Walls" finished fifth with an estimated 7.29 million dollars in its third weekend for a North American total of 55.05 million dollars. The film, based on the kids book of the same name follows a 10-year-old orphan who goes to live with his uncle in a creaky old house, which is haunted by the original owner's ghost, who's about to end the world with a clock he had made and hidden within the house before his death.