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 The big-budget, effects-filled movie starring Andrew Garfield
is expected to rank as one of the year's highest-grossing films.
With international sales, it has rung up nearly $370 million
around the globe through Sunday, distributor Sony Corp said.
"The Other Woman," a comedy about three women out for revenge on
a cheating husband, finished a distant second on domestic charts
with $14.2 million, according to estimates from tracking firm
Rentrak.
"Captain America: The Winter Soldier," another superhero sequel
and previous box office champ, landed in the No. 4 slot with
$7.8 million from Friday through Sunday, behind "Heaven Is for
Real," a faith-based drama and Sony release which grabbed third
place with $8.7 million for a $65 million box office total in
just its third week of release.
The performance of "Spider-Man 2" could not quite match the
strong domestic opening for "Captain America" in April, when the
Marvel Studios film took in $95 million over its first three
days. Ahead of the weekend, box office forecasters projected
"Spider-Man" would collect $85 million to $95 million.
In the "Spider-Man" sequel, Garfield returns as the masked hero
who swings through the streets and skyscrapers of New York,
battling new villains including the formidable Electro played by
Jamie Foxx. Garfield's real-life girlfriend, Emma Stone,
portrays Gwen Stacy, the on-screen love interest of Spidey alter
ego Peter Parker.
"This was a really fantastic result," said Rory Bruer, president
of worldwide distribution for Sony Pictures Entertainment,
adding that the opening bodes well for Sony "not only meeting
our goals, but exceeding them."
The film is Sony's biggest bet this year, with a production cost
of roughly $200 million, according to movie website IMDB. Last
summer, the studio suffered from two major bombs, thrillers
"After Earth" and "White House Down."
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"Spider-Man" leads a parade of action-packed superhero and monster
movies that will reach theaters by August. They include "Godzilla"
on May 16, "X-Men: Days of Future Past" on May 23, and
"Transformers: Age of Extinction" on June 27. Hollywood earns about
40 percent of ticket sales from the first weekend in May through
Labor Day in September.
Bruer said Sony was well-positioned going forward, saying "It's nice
to be going into next weekend with no outrageous competition. That
will give us a chance to build."
"The Amazing Spider-Man," which Sony released in 2012, took in more
than $750 million worldwide according to the website boxofficemojo,
and Bruer said the studio hoped to equal or exceed that total.
"Captain America," starring Chris Evans as the patriotic superhero,
got a head start on the summer releases and generated blockbuster
sales. Through Sunday, the film had earned $680 million globally,
distributor Walt Disney Co said.
"The Other Woman," in its second week of release, brought its
domestic total to $47 million. The movie stars Cameron Diaz and Kate
Upton as women who are dating the same married man. Leslie Mann
plays his wife.
Rounding out the top five, animated sequel "Rio 2," about a family
of rare Brazilian birds, collected $7.6 million to bring its box
office total to $106 million.
"The Other Woman" and "Rio 2" were released by 20th Century Fox, a
unit of Twenty-First Century Fox.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Chris Michaud; Editing by Sophie
Hares)
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