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May 5, 2002
Spider-Man hurtles past $100M in three days, breaking box office records
DAVID GERMAIN
Canadian Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Spider-Man has leaped from comic book to record book, becoming the first movie to hit $100 million US in its first weekend. The live-action adaptation starring Tobey Maguire as the Marvel Comics web-slinger shattered box office records with a $114 million debut, surpassing the previous best of $90.3 million taken in by Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone during its first three days last fall.
With $39.3 million on Friday and $43.7 million on Saturday, director Sam Raimi's Spider-Man also beat the single-day record of $33.5 million set by Harry Potter on its second day, according to studio figures Sunday.
"Not in our wildest expectations or dreams" did the filmmakers anticipate such demand for Spider-Man, said Amy Pascal, head of Sony's Columbia Pictures, which released the film. The studio would have been thrilled with a debut in the $70 million to $80 million range, she said.
Playing in 3,615 theatres, Spider-Man averaged $31,535 per location, a new high for films opening in 3,000 or more cinemas, running about $7,000 ahead of the old record held by Harry Potter. Spider-Man also was the fastest movie to reach $100 million, passing Harry Potter and Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, which both took five days to climb to $105 million.
"I don't think there's a distribution record in history that hasn't been shattered," said Jeff Blake, Sony president of worldwide marketing and distribution. "That $100 million opening weekend has always been sort of a great white whale of the movie business. To have Spider-Man capture it is just thrilling."
With few big films opening this past weekend or next, Spider-Man has a fairly wide-open field until the new Star Wars film opens May 16.
This past weekend brought two other modest debuts. Deuces Wild, a street-gang drama starring Matt Dillon, opened at No. 7 with $2.7 million, averaging a weak $1,824 in 1,480 theatres.
Woody Allen's comedy Hollywood Ending tied for 10th place, grossing $2.2 million in 765 theatres for a $2,876 average.
Overall, the top 12 movies grossed $153.3 million, up 54 per cent from the same weekend last year, when The Mummy Returns debuted. Spider-Man accounted for nearly three-fourths of revenues among the top 12 films.
Ubiquitous marketing, an audience built up through 40 years of comic readership, solid action and visual effects and a tale of an ordinary, misfit youth helped draw an across-the-board audience to Spider-Man. The crowds were split about 50-50 between men and women and viewers older and younger than 25, Blake said.
"It is a very universal story everybody can relate to," Pascal said. "He's a completely misunderstood guy that nobody recognizes and who just wants to do good. He's not a hero from planet Krypton. He's all of us."
The success of Spider-Man bodes well for Hollywood's overall summer, which is crowded with marquee titles including new Star Wars, Men in Black, Austin Powers, Stuart Little and Spy Kids movies.
Spider-Man also sets a benchmark few films will be able to rival.
"This sets a new gold standard by which the rest of the summer blockbusters are going to be judged," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "Everybody's going to have to try and live up to Spider-Man."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theatres, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. Spider-Man, $114 million.
2. The Scorpion King, $9.6 million.
3. Changing Lanes, $5.6 million.
4. Murder by Numbers, $3.8 million.
5. The Rookie, $3.3 million.
6. Life or Something Like It, $3.28 million.
7. Deuces Wild, $2.7 million.
8. Ice Age, $2.5 million.
9. Jason X, $2.4 million.
10 (tie). Hollywood Ending, $2.2 million.
10 (tie). Panic Room, $2.2 million.
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