Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is spinning a powerful web at the box office.
The Sony Animation sequel earned a huge $51.8 million-plus from 4,313 theaters on Friday for a projected opening of $120 million-plus, well ahead of expectations and one of the top openings of all time for an animated film. The movie, which will easily come in at No. 1, boasts both stellar reviews and audience scores. Sony’s weekend estimate is a more conservative $113.5 million, which would still make Across the Spider-Verse the third-biggest opening of all time for an animated pic and the best ever for Sony animation.
Friday’s haul — the biggest opening day of 2023 so far — includes $17.4 million in Thursday previews, the second-best showing ever for an animated title behind Incredibles 2. That’s not exactly a surprise, considering the pic is playing older than a traditional kid’s animated movie. More than half of Friday’s audience was between ages 18 and 34.
In 2018, the Phil Lord and Christopher Miller-produced Into the Spider-Verse opened to $35.6 million domestically on its way to becoming a box office sensation and topping out at $384.2 million worldwide.
Across the Spider-Verse again follows Marvel’s Miles Morales/Spider-Man, voiced by Shameik Moore, and Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman, voiced by Hailee Steinfeld, set across the multiverse of Spider-People. New voice castmembers include Issa Rae (Jessica Drew).
Lord and Miller are returning as producers and writers, with David Callaham also writing the screenplay.
The movie will be followed by another sequel, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, in 2024.
Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid will dock at second place in its sophomore weekend with an estimated $40 million from 4,320 theaters.
The Disney empire will also take the third spot on the box office chart with the new horror pic The Boogeyman. The 20th Century pic, based on a Stephen King story, is looking at domestic opening in the $11 million to $12 million range.
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