On Sunday, Hollywood had an answer to the question of whether people would return to movie theaters to see a big-budget blockbuster during the pandemic.
Spider-Man: There’s no way home, the latest installment in the Marvel superhero franchise, opened a pandemic-era record of $253 million over the weekend.
It’s the third-biggest opening in history and the largest since the coronavirus hit in early 2020, according to studio estimates.
These numbers immediately made the film the highest-grossing film of the year in the country, marking an incredible success for Sony Pictures.
Internationally, the studio estimates that Spiderman raised an additional $334.2 million from 60 overseas markets, bringing its total to date to $587.2 million.
Demand for movies has been particularly notable with the increase in Covid-19 cases around the world over the past week, demonstrating that people are getting ready to go to cinemas at a time when streaming has become the norm. become the de facto choice of millions of people.
Unlike many movies released this year, Spiderman was released in cinemas only, meaning fans who wanted to see the Zendaya and Tom Holland-starred film had to come in person.
In contrast, rivals like Disney and Warner Brothers have used their many blockbuster releases to stimulate demand for their streaming services, releasing titles including Sand dunes and Black Widow online at or near the same time they debuted in theaters.
Spiderman have received rave reviews from critics, and the blockbuster weekend’s numbers could bolster the confidence studios and theater owners have for live viewing, which some believe that has been changed forever by the pandemic.
“History this weekend Spider-Man: There’s no way home The results, from around the world and face many challenges, reaffirm the unprecedented cultural impact that exclusive theatrical films can have,” said Tom Rothman, chief executive officer of the motion picture division. of Sony Pictures said.
The film has surpassed the highest-grossing film in the US since the pandemic first reached the shores of the country: Disney’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, has made $225 million this year.
The US opening only lasts the first weekend registered by Avengers: End Game ($357 million) and Avengers: Infinity War ($258 million), Disney superhero movies released in 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Spiderman was also a success at Imax, grossing $36.2 million globally in large-format theaters.
The film has had a relatively erratic year in Hollywood, though grosses have grown about 82% from 2020 to $4 billion, according to ComScore. Major releases, including well-reviewed West story remade by Steven Spielberg, was disappointing at the box office.
Theatrical releases typically generated more than $11 billion a year in the US before the pandemic.
Hollywood will have its next test of cinema cravings in the coming days with the release of its latest movie Matrix movie.
