'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' swings to massive US$120.5 million opening

'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' opened in U.S. and Canadian theatres with a massive US$120.5 million, more than tripling the debut of the 2018 animated original and showing the kind of movie-to-movie box-office growth that would be the envy of even the mightiest of Hollywood franchises.

"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" opened in U.S. and Canadian theatres with a massive US$120.5 million, more than tripling the debut of the 2018 animated original and showing the kind of movie-to-movie box-office growth that would be the envy of even the mightiest of Hollywood franchises.

Sony Pictures' "Across the Spider-Verse," the multi-verse spinning animated Spider-Man spinoff, sailed way past expectations, according to studio estimates Sunday, riding terrific reviews (95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and strong buzz for the hotly anticipated follow-up to the Oscar-winning "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse."

In the sometimes formulaic realm of superhero movies, 2018's "Into the Spider-Verse" offered a blast of originality, introducing a teenage webslinger from Brooklyn, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a punk-rock Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) and a host of other Spider-People. It launched with US$35.4 million on its way to $384.3 million worldwide.

"Across the Spider-Verse," which exponentially expands the film's universe-skipping worlds, cost US$100 million to make, about half the cost of the average live-action comic-book movie. So at even the forecast US$80 million that "Spider-Verse" had been expected to open, "Across the Spider-Verse" would have been a hit.

Instead, it has turned out to be a box-office sensation, and the second largest domestic opening of 2023, trailing only "The Super Mario Bros. Movie." "Across the Spider-Verse," directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson, even topped "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," which debuted with US$118 million, for best opening weekend of the summer so far.

The film, shepherded by writer-producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, is part two in a trilogy that will conclude with a third chapter to be released next year. "Across the Spider-Verse" over-performed abroad, too, with US$88.1 million overseas.

After few family offerings for much of the first half of 2023, theatres are suddenly flush with kid-friendly entertainment. Last week's top film, the Walt Disney Co.'s live action remake "The Little Mermaid," slid to second with US$40.6 million in it second weekend.