Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home has burst onto the box-office “nice” list, just in time for Christmas with a record-breaking USD $600.8 million for its worldwide debut.
The film is now on the right track to clear USD $1 billion at the global box office by the time its theatrical release ends.
Directed by Jon Watts, No Way Home stars real-life couple Tom Holland and Zendaya and gives delighted fans a mash-up of three generations of Spider-Man movies, featuring Willem Dafoe (2002’s Spider-Man), Alfred Molina (2004’s Spider-Man 2) and Jamie Foxx (2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2).
Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau and Benedict Wong, plus several surprise stars, also appear in the blockbuster film.
No Way Home has set and broken several records, including being the third-biggest worldwide opening of all time. The only films to open higher were Avengers: Endgame ($1.2 billion) and Avengers: Infinity War ($640.5 million).
The film was also the biggest worldwide opening of all time for Sony’s Columbia Pictures, with Spider-Man 3 in 2007 the previous biggest at $381.7 million.
On the US domestic box office front, the superhero flick couldn’t quite squeeze past Avengers: Endgame and its USD $357 million opening profit, but it did manage to beat out Avengers: Infinity War ($257.6 million), Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($248 million), Star Wars: The Last Jedi ($220 million) and Jurassic World ($208.8 million).
On the international front, the film enjoyed the biggest opening of all time in Mexico with a five-day debut of USD $32.4 million, the second-biggest opening of all time in India for a Hollywood title ($18.2 million) and the third-biggest opening weekend ever in Australia with $18.7 million.
The movie also holds the record for the biggest December opening, ever, beating out Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which opened to $529 million in 2015.
The success of Spidey is made even more impressive (and welcome) given the tumultuous ride the cinema business has been on for the past two years, and especially as the Omicron variant threatens to result in the potential closure of some movie theatres around the world.
“This weekend’s historic Spider-Man: No Way Home results, from all over the world and in the face of many challenges, reaffirm the unmatched cultural impact that exclusive theatrical films can have when they are made and marketed with vision and resolve,” said Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures Chairman and CEO, in a statement.
“All of us at Sony Pictures are deeply grateful to the fabulous talent, both in front of and behind the camera, that produced such a landmark film.”
Spider-Man: No Way Home is now showing at HOYTS Cinemas across Australia.
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