After less than two weeks of release, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” has surpassed the entire box office run of its predecessor, 2018’s Oscar-winning “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”
Over the weekend, the comic book sequel hit $226 million in North America and $390 million globally and now stands as Sony’s highest-grossing animated release in history. The original film, also a box office winner, tapped out with $190 in North America and $384 million globally. The sequel passed the domestic tally of the first in nine days and the global total in 12 days.
Despite competition from Paramount’s “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” which opened to $60 million and targets a similar audience of younger males, “Spider-Verse” added $55 million in its second weekend of domestic release, a decline of 55% from its huge $120 million debut.
“‘Across The Spider-Verse’ has surpassed its predecessor in an almost unprecedented amount of time,” says Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “A feat made all the more impressive amidst a crowded and competitive summer movie marketplace.”
“Across the Spider-Verse” is benefitting from strong word-of-mouth and goodwill for the original, which introduced audiences to this universe’s Spider-Man, known as Miles Morales, and brought the concept of a cinematic multiverse to the masses. Premium large formats, including Imax, have also been important in boosting the film’s grosses.
Outside of the U.S. and Canada, the top-earning territories for “Spider-Verse” include China with $34.1 million, the United Kingdom with $20.3 million, Mexico with $19.9 million and Australia with $10.9 million.
Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson directed the PG-rated “Across the Spider-Verse,” which cost $100 million to produce. The story follows Miles and Gwen Stacy (a.k.a. Spider-Woman) as they attempt to save their fellow Spider People from the villain who goes by the name the Spot.
Given the instant blockbuster success of the sequel, it’s no surprise that Miles Morales isn’t going anywhere. Long before “Across the Spider-Verse” even opened in theaters, Sony announced a third installment, “Beyond the Spider-Verse,” for 2024.
