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Around the globe, "No Way Home" generated an
additional $334.2 million for a worldwide weekend total of
$587.2 million, according to estimates from distributor Sony
Corp.
The blockbuster returns delivered a much-needed jolt to cinema
companies such as AMC Entertainment, Cinemark and Cineworld that
have struggled to draw crowds during the pandemic. The emergence
of the Omicron variant https://www.reuters.com/world/threat-omicron-looms-over-christmas-holidays-europe-us-2021-12-19
has sparked new concerns.
But as Broadway and New York City's Rockettes canceled shows and
the National Football League postponed games, theaters were
abuzz. Fans packed auditoriums for "No Way Home," a big-budget
superhero spectacle co-produced by Sony and Walt Disney Co that
is playing only in theaters.
The movie stars Tom Holland as Marvel's web-slinging superhero
and Zendaya, as his girlfriend MJ, in the third film in the
Spider-Man trilogy. It also brings back stars of previous
"Spider-Man" films.
"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," Tom Rothman, the chairman and chief executive officer
of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Motion Picture Group, said in a
statement.
U.S. and Canadian ticket sales crushed the most optimistic
projections from last week, when analysts deemed $200 million a
long shot. "No Way Home" finished just behind "Avengers:
Endgame" and "Avengers: Infinity War" and ahead of the Star Wars
film "The Force Awakens."
Cinemark said ticket sales for "No Way Home" were especially
strong in the United States and Latin America and on
large-format screens.
Holland offered gratitude to fans. "Thank you thank you thank
you and if you haven’t seen Spider-Man no way home yet ... merry
Christmas and you know what to do," he wrote on Instagram.
The fact that the film concluded a popular trilogy added to its
appeal, said Jeff Bock, senior media analyst at Exhibitor
Relations Co, and many fans wanted to see the new installment on
the opening weekend before they read spoilers on social media.
SUPERHEROES
The success underscored the continuing pull of superhero-based
films at cinemas, Bock added, particularly among young people
who are used to streaming movies at home.
"It reinforces the fact that superheroes are number one, and
everybody else is somewhere way down below," he said.
The previous pandemic record was set by Marvel superhero film
"Venom: Let There Be Carnage," https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/venom-bond-pull-4-mln-people-amc-theaters-over-weekend-2021-10-04
which took in $90 million domestically over its first three days
in October. Marvel's "Black Widow" opened with $80 million back
in May.
Other genres have struggled to lure audiences. Steven
Spielberg's remake of classic musical "West Side Story," which
has earned rave reviews and Oscar nominations buzz, sold $3.4
million worth of tickets in the U.S. and Canadian market over
the weekend. Its global total stands at $27.1 million after two
weekends in theaters.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Paul
Simao)
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