'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' swings to massive $120.5 million opening
NEW YORK (AP) – “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” opened to a massive $120.5 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters, more than tripling the 2018 animated original’s debut and taking in movie-to-movie box office collections. more than show. -Office development that would be the envy of even Hollywood’s most powerful franchises.
Sony Pictures’ “Across the Spider-Verse”, the multi-verse spinning animated Spider-Man spinoff, beats expectations on Sunday, according to studio projections, garnering great reviews (95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and strong buzz leading up to a heated Oscar The anticipated follow-up to the winner “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”.
In the sometimes formulaic realm of superhero movies, 2018’s “Into the Spider-Verse” delivered a burst of originality, featuring a teenage webslinger from Brooklyn, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a punk-rock Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) and many others were involved. the other Spider-People. It opened to $384.3 million with $35.4 million worldwide.
“Across the Spider-Verse”, which rapidly expands the film’s out-of-universe world, cost $100 million to produce, about half the cost of the average live-action comic-book movie. So even with the $80 million forecast that “Into the Spider-Verse” was expected to open, “Across the Spider-Verse” would have been a hit.
Instead, it has become a box-office sensation, and has the second biggest domestic opening of 2023, behind only “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”. Joaquim dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson-directed “Across the Spider-Verse,” even “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” which debuted with $118 million, tied for the best opening weekend of the summer so far.
The film, helmed by writer-producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, is part two in a trilogy that will conclude with the third chapter releasing next year. “Across the Spider-Verse” also over-performed overseas with $88.1 million.
After few family offerings in the first half of 2023, theaters are suddenly flooded with kid-friendly entertainment. Last week’s top film, The Walt Disney Company’s live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid” fell to second place with $40.6 million for its second weekend.
After launching with $95.5 million and $117.5 million over the four-day Memorial Day weekend, “The Little Mermaid” dipped 57%, partly due to strong competition from “Across the Spider-Verse”.
“The Little Mermaid” received mixed reviews after reportedly costing $250 million to produce, but received more enthusiasm from audiences, giving it an “A” CinemaScore. But overseas, where previous Disney live-action remakes have flourished, is proving to be tougher territory this time around. The film added $42.4 million internationally over the weekend.
Disney supplied the weekend’s top counter-programming choice in “The Boogeyman,” a mostly well-received horror adaptation of a Stephen King short story. The $35 million film from director Rob Savage, starring Sophie Thatcher and Chris Messina, was originally intended to debut on Hulu before the studio pivoted. It debuted with $12.3 million in ticket sales.
In limited release, the Sundance breakout film “Past Lives” opened on four screens with a $58,067 per-screen average. Greta Lee stars as a woman torn between a Korean childhood friend (Teo Yoo) and her American husband in Celine Song’s directorial debut. (John Magaro).
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday in US and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” $120.5 million.
2. “The Little Mermaid,” $40.6 million.
3. “The Boogeyman,” $12.3 million.
4. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” $10.2 million.
5. “Fast X,” $9.2 million.
6. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” $3.4 million.
7. “About My Father,” $2.1 million.
8. “The Machine,” $1.8 million.
9. “Suga: August D Tour Live in Japan,” $1.2 million.
10. “You Hurt My Feelings,” $770,000.
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