What’s up, danger? After nearly five years, it’s time to swing back into the Spider-Verse, as Sony’s sequel, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” has webbed up $17.35 million in Thursday previews at the box office.
The animated sequel is expected to open at $80 million this weekend, with some projections going as high as $90 million or more. It’s a big swing ahead of the original movie, 2018’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” which opened with $35.4 million and had $3.5 million in Thursday previews.
The Thursday total also gives “Across the Spider-Verse” the second-highest preview gross for an animated movie, behind “The Incredibles 2” with $18.5 million, and the second-highest previews for any “Spider-Man” film, behind “Spider-Man: No Way Home” with $50 million.
Many of the cast members from the first movie return, including Shameik Moore as Miles Morales, Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy and Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker. After getting his spider powers in “Into the Spider-Verse” and meeting alternate version of the web-slinging hero, Miles has grown into his responsibilities as Spider-Man. In the sequel, he meets even more Spider-People, including Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac), Jessica Drew (Issa Rae), Spider-Man India (Karan Soni) and Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya).
The reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, which is notable since “Into the Spider-Verse” was already highly regarded by critics and Spidey fans alike. In his review for PvNew, chief film critic Owen Gleiberman wrote, “They’ve done it. ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ doesn’t just extend the tale of Miles Morales. The film advances that story into newly jacked-up realms of wow-ness that make it a genuine spiritual companion piece to the first film. That one spun our heads and then some; this one spins our heads even more (and would fans, including me, have it any other way?).”
There’s already a third movie, “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,” set for March 29, 2024, and a couple of spinoffs — including a live-action Miles Morales and animated “Spider-Woman” movie — in the works, according to producers.
