Never underestimate your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, even with a mutating virus afoot.
Despite rising concerns over the omicron variant, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” not only shattered pandemic-era box office records, it now holds the title for the second-biggest opening weekend ever, behind only “Avengers: Endgame.” Weekend ticket sales for the third Tom Holland Spider-Man were even better than estimated, and the movie raked in $260 million in North America, Sony Pictures announced Monday. It’s the best opening weekend ever for Spider-Man films, Sony and the month of December.
While the extra push Sunday put “No Way Home,” ahead of “Avengers: Infinity War,” which opened to $257.7 million in April 2018, it’s still a long way behind “Avengers: Endgame,” which debuted to $357.1 million in April 2019.
The stellar opening was a much-needed win for the theatrical exhibition business, which has struggled during the pandemic and could be headed for a difficult start in 2022 as the omicron variant of the coronavirus forces more and more event cancellations. Until “Spider-Man” came along, no film in the COVID era had opened with more than $100 million.
“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,” says 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.”
