Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Swings Past Competition For Best Opening Day Box Office Of 2023
"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is making waves at the box office.
The highly-anticipated sequel to 2018's "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" just had the best opening day at the box office this year. Per Deadline, the Phil Lord and Chris Miller-produced flick has walked away with a whopping $51.7 million Friday debut. This number puts the animated Marvel flick ahead of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's" $48.1 million debut and "Mario's" $31.7 million opening. Friday numbers include "Across'" Thursday previews, which brought in over $17 million.
The animated sequel is now on track to gross over $100 million during its opening weekend, trumping the first film's modest $35 million debut. Early tracking had the film opening north of $70 million. While some pundits are expecting a $125 million three-day showing, a more conservative debut of $113 million is likely. With a budget of $100 million, per The Hollywood Reporter, "Across the Spider-Verse" is already a success for Sony.
If audiences continue to show up in droves, "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" could emerge as the biggest film of the summer.
Can Across the Spider-Verse become a billion dollar play?
"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is defying odds and playing like a traditional live-action superhero blockbuster. It stands tall as the "Spider-Man" flick with the third-best opening day, resting behind "No Way Home" ($129 million) and "Spider-Man 3" ($59.8 million). "Across" also has the privilege of having the third-best opening day for an animated flick. The billion-dollar grossing "Incredibles II" and "Finding Dory" stand just ahead of it.
Fans shouldn't be surprised to see "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse's" impact on the box office. The crowd-pleasing sequel has received stellar feedback from critics, including Looper's very own Reuben Baron, who praised the film for its unique visual language and effective use of fan service in a near-perfect review.
While "Into the Spider-Verse" had a solid showing at the box office, it's fair to call its $385 million run an underperformance in hindsight. Over the last five years, audiences have fallen in love with the animated flick, spreading its gospel far and wide. Now, it look like "Across" could become the biggest film of the summer. If the film continues to hold in the coming weeks, bracing the impact from "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" and "The Flash," the animated Spidey flick could leg its way to a billion.