Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity has passed the $400m (£250m) mark in global box-office takings, becoming October's highest-grossing live action film release of all time, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The 3D sci-fi spectacular, which is being tipped for a tilt at the Oscars, overtook the previous highest earner at the weekend. The record had been held by action sequel Taken 2, which opened in October 2012 and went on to bring in $376m worldwide. An animated film, Puss in Boots, holds the overall October record with $555m.

Cuarón's film features Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as a pair of astronauts working together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space. Its achievement is remarkable for a $100m production that was seen as a huge risk for studio Warner Bros upon its initial release.

After debuting at the Venice film festival in August to enthusiastic reviews, Gravity has proceeded to take the worldwide box office by storm in a slow-building manoeuvre fuelled largely by older filmgoers. Its success has also been seen as a fillip for 3D movies, which have been struggling at the box office in recent times, particularly in North America.

More on Gravity

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