Superhero fatigue is no match for Peter Parker.
Sure, comic book movies have been on the fritz. But Marvel’s friendly neighborhood web-slinger is about to change the narrative, with Sony’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” swinging to a truly heroic box office debut. Estimates are ranging from $260 million to $280 million from 4,300 North American theaters, which means it’s tracking to land one of the biggest opening weekends in history. Projections have been climbing and climbing in the days leading up to the release, with some bullish box office watchers suggesting a start over $300 million isn’t out of the question. Sony is suggesting a more conservative launch around $190 million to $195 million, though basically everyone else believes the film’s opening will be at least $250 million.
These are rarified box office heights. Only nine films have ever crossed $200 million in a single weekend while just one, Marvel’s 2019 behemoth “Avengers: Endgame,” surpassed $300 million in its debut. “Avengers: Endgame” holds the record for the biggest opening of all time with $357 million domestically and a mind-blowing $1.2 billion globally. The second-largest domestic opening weekend belongs to 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” with $260 million, followed by 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War” with $257 million and 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” with $247 million.
