Villain 'Venom' is box office hero in North American theaters
AFP
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Superhero blockbuster "Venom" saved the day at the North American box office this weekend, pulling in an estimated $80 million in ticket sales, industry tracker Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.

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Celebrities attend the premiere of Columbia Pictures' 'Venom' at Regency Village Theatre in Westwood, California. 1 October 2018. (Photo: AP)

The film, the official launch of Sony's Marvel Universe, stars Tom Hardy as a journalist who becomes the host for an alien symbiote that gives him superpowers.

The character is a villain in the "Spider-Man" comic book world.

Despite being panned by critics, the movie comfortably broke the October opening weekend record by more than $20 million, according to Box Office Mojo figures.