-
1 of 10
-
2 of 10
-
3 of 10
-
4 of 10
-
5 of 10
-
6 of 10
-
7 of 10
-
8 of 10
-
9 of 10
-
10 of 10
‘Spider-Man’ nets big bucks at box office
Archive
Comments
Story
A crime-fighting teen-ager who spins webs to scale Manhattan’s tall buildings catapulted himself from comic book hero to America’s hero this weekend as “Spider-Man” became the first movie ever to earn $100 million in its first three days.
The film adventures of Marvel Comics’ best-loved good guy rang up an estimated $114 million from Friday through Sunday _ shattering the previous weekend opening record of $90.3 million, set in November by “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”
“It’s a movie everyone can like,” said Jeff Blake, head of marketing and distribution for Columbia Pictures, which produced “Spider-Man.” “Sure, it’s got a superhero and great special effects, but it also has a lot of heart. It’s a romance.”
Industry insiders credited the love story between Tobey Maguire, playing Spider-Man and Kirsten Dunst for much of the film’s spectacular success.
“Audiences love Tobey and Kirsten,” said Paul Dergarabedien, president of the trade group Exhibitor Relations. “Their relationship broadens the film’s appeal beyond fans of the comic book.”
The spectacular showing of “Spider-Man” _ it earned three times as much as the rest of the weekend’s top 10 movies combined _ fueled speculation that the new “Star Wars” movie, opening May 15, also could crack the $100 million barrier.
Theaters across the country added extra morning and late-night “Spider-Man” showings to keep up with the demand.
Blake said the audience was evenly divided between men and women _ and viewers both under and over 25. “We got rave reviews from both teen-age boys and older women,” he says. “Those are two groups that never agree on anything.
“Sure, there are hard-core Spider-Man fans who are already coming back to see the film … But to get numbers like this, you have to go way beyond the hard core.”
The pattern for many movies now is to open with a splash and fade quickly.
But Dergarabedien says “Spider-Man” could have as many legs as a spider. “This is not a flash in the pan produced by opening-weekend hype,” he said. “This is solid.”
Blake declined to speculate on how much “Spider-Man” could ultimately earn, but he noted that “Men in Black” earned $51 million on its opening weekend _ and ended up with $250 million. The all-time record, $600 million, is held by “Titanic.”
Dergarabedien says “Spider-Man” already has changed the game for Hollywood.
“A $100 million weekend has been like the Holy Grail,” he said. “This sets a new standard for everyone … movies like these become events and you have to see them.”
Executives at Columbia said the $100 million opening weekend box office surpassed their “wildest dreams or expectations.”
Columbia Chairwoman Amy Pascal said the studio already was making plans for a “Spider-Man” sequel.
David Hinckley, New York Daily News (KRT)
