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Spider-Man 3 Obliterates Box-Office Records World-Wide.
Spider-Man 3
May 8th, 2007 - Hardly anyone was able to escape the wall-crawler’s web. Despite mixed reviews, moviegoers flocked in droves to see the latest special effects-laden installment of the webbed wonder series. As of Monday, May 7th, after a final tally of this weekend's receipts, Columbia Pictures stated that the Marvel Comics superhero film had grossed a total of $382 million world-wide. It earned $151.1 million in North America and $231 million internationally, where the film opened last Tuesday, May 1st. By May 6th, 2007, the film had been released in 107 countries.
Initial estimates for the weekend's grosses were 2% lower than they turned out to be, with Columbia releasing figures of $148 million North American and $227 million internationally, on Sunday.
Its North American and International debuts easily outpace the previous all-time opener for a 3-day period, last summer's Walt Disney Co.-distributed Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which earned North American opening weekend receipts of $135.6. Spider-Man 3's massive international bow also easily defeated the previous record holder in that department, another Columbia Pictures release, The Da Vinci Code, which debuted with $155 million.
Amy Pascal, Sony Pictures co-chairperson, said "Sam Raimi is a genius. I could have never envisioned this. What I was hoping was we would just break the 'Spider-Man 1' record. This is beyond my wildest dream."
In its first two days, it almost equalled the $144.8 million three-day opening weekend of 2002's original Spider-Man, which held the record until Dead Man's Chest.
In 10 of the 16 Asian territories in which it opened, Spider-Man 3 set records. Its one-day tally in all territories, on May 1st, it grossed $29.2 million, an 86% increase over the opening day for Spider-Man 2. It set many opening day records in Asian territories, such as Japan and South Korea, where it surpassed the previous opening day records held by Spider-Man 2.
Spider-Man 3 holds the distinction of a number of other opening day and weekend records. Its debut, on a record 4,253 screens averaged an enormous $34,807 per theater. With a Friday total gross of $59.3, it also beat the previous one-day record holder, again Dead Man's Chest, which opened with $55.8 million. It also shattered IMAX opening weekend box-office records by contributing $4.8 million toward the weekend receipts. That works out to an amazing $57,147 per screen. It also broke the record for a single day worldwide IMAX total with $2.2 million. Moreover, it was the largest IMAX opening in history, bowing on 84 domestic screens and 34 international. Its domestic 3-day weekend gross of $4.8 million bested the previous record holder 300, released in March, which bowed with $3.6 million. Its worldwide IMAX total was estimated at a record-breaking $6.3 million.
Rory Bruer, President of Domestic Distribution for Sony Pictures Releasing, said, "We are ecstatic about the opening results in both traditional theatres as well as IMAX venues. The IMAX release offers fans of Spider-Man another unique and exciting way to experience the film, and we are encouraged by the contribution it has already made to the film's overall box office performance." “The weekend results from Spider-Man 3 didn't just break our previous opening record, they blew it away," said IMAX co-chairmen and co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler.
Spider-Man 3 reteams the main cast and crew from the first two Spider-man movies; the film stars Tobey Maguire as Daily Bugle photographer Peter Parker/aka Spider-Man and Kirsten Dunst as his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson. Rosemary Harris returns as Peter's kindly Aunt May and James Franco reprises his role as Pete's best friend/worst enemy, Harry Osborn. Making series debuts are Sideways star Thomas Haden Church as heavy Flint Marko, who becomes the Sandman, and Topher Grace, of 'That 70's Show' as rival Bugle photo hound Eddie Brock, Jr., who falls victim to an alien symbiote and becomes Venom. Also making a Spider-Man debut is Bryce Dallas Howard, daughter of film director Ron Howard, as Peter's other love interest, Gwen Stacy. Director Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Darkman) is back at the helm and he co-writes the screenplay, along with his brother, Ivan Raimi, and Oscar winner Alvin Sargent (Julia, Ordinary People). Sargent was also credited with the Spider-Man 2 screenplay.
The film, budgeted at $258 million and rumored to be higher, is one of the biggest budgeted films in Hollywood history. An additional estimated $125 million was spent on advertising.
To try and prevent the high rate of pirated copies that would inevitably appear, Columbia released the film in China, ahead of its domestic release, which is a first for Sony Pictures Releasing International. Many ticket buyers made their purchases through the Internet, hoping to avioid disappointment at sold-out shows in person, and on-line ticket sales were reported by Fandango to be at least six times greater than for Spider-Man 2.
The number two movie of the weekend, Dreamworks and Paramount's Disturbia, which had been number one for the past three weekends, grossed $5.9 million. The $145 million difference between Spider-Man 3 and Disturbia is the largest ever for a number one and number two film in a three-day weekend.
The next two weeks should see more records being set for the movie, as there won’t be much competition at the box office until the May 18th opening of Dreamworks’ Shrek the Third and the May 25th opening of the third Pirates Of the Caribbean movie, At World's End. Those films were helped by Spider-Man 3, as massive numbers of theatergoers were captive audiences for those films’ trailers.
At its current pace, the film looks well on its way to reaching the Top Ten of U.S. Domestic Box Office grossers. Spider-Man 2 is currently on the list at number 10, earning $373,019 252. The first Spider-Man stands at number seven, with $403,706,375 in total box-office receipts.