The Amazing Spider-Man pulls in $65 million on opening weekend
Andrew Garfield, left, Emma Stone and Rhys Ilfans attend the German premiere of “The Amazing Spider-Man” at Sony Center on June 20, 2012 in Berlin.
The new Spider-Man movie pulled in US$65 million in US and Canadian ticket sales on its opening weekend, and has secured the movie box office charts' top spot.
Reuters reports that "The Amazing Spider-Man" started strong with US$7.5 million in midnight sales on Tuesday, and has now snared a total of US$140 million domestically. Its total for the 70 count ires where is now showing stands at US$341.2 million.
Time remarks that the takings may appear good but "in the movie landscape of mega-blockbusters, it’s only a decent beginning." It points out that the six-day total is "well below" the US$180 million amassed by last year’s 'Transformers 3' or the US$214.9 million earned by 'Transformers 2' in 2009. "It’s also dwarfed by the US$176.4 million for 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse' (episode three) two years ago," the article states.
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However, despite making less than the previous three Spider-Man films, Associated Press says the movie's performance so far has "laid to rest objections that it was too soon to relaunch the superhero franchise." The new origin story comes just five years after the final installment of Sam Raimi's trilogy starring Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst was released. This time, relative newcomers Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone have been cast in the lead roles.
"This was never modeled or was never meant to be Spider-Man 4. This was always a relaunch with a new cast and different stories to tell, and quite frankly, it succeeded beyond our imaginations," Rory Bruer, Sony's head of distribution, is quoted as saying.
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In an article entitled "Why Spider-Man is pulling in moviegoers. Again.", Axcess News suggests fans have been drawn by Peter Parker's "permanent hold on the adolescent psyche."
"A teenager can't identify with Superman or Batman, but they absolutely can with an outcast Peter Parker with his bad hair and spider bites. Peter Parker will never be the cool kid in the know – and that's why we root for him," Brad Ricca, who teaches popular culture at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland suggested.