Spider-Man producer warned stars not to date

LOS ANGELES • One of Hollywood's cutest couples, Tom Holland and Zendaya, are appearing in their third Spider-Man movie, No Way Home.

But their romance did not initially have the blessings of producer Amy Pascal, who has worked with them since the first movie, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017).

In an interview with The New York Times, Pascal said she had warned Holland and Zendaya that dating could "complicate things", but her advice fell on deaf ears.

Famously, actors who had taken on the role of Spider-Man had ended up with their on-screen love interest - Tobey Maguire with Kirsten Dunst, and Andrew Garfield with Emma Stone. Both couples have since split up.

Pascal said: "I took Tom and Zendaya aside, separately, when we first cast them, and gave them a lecture. Don't go there - just don't. Try not to."

"I gave the same advice to Andrew and Emma. It can just complicate things, you know? And they all ignored me," she added.

Holland and Zendaya, both 25, were rumoured to be dating in 2017, but did not confirm the romance until earlier this year.

In recent weeks, they have been promoting their latest movie as a couple and winning over fans, who have dubbed them "Tomdaya".

The superhero movie has taken the box office by storm over its opening weekend, performing better than forecast.

Final figures on Monday showed that it is second on the list of all-time domestic openings in the United States and Canada for Hollywood films, just ahead of the nearly US$258 million (S$352 million) for Avengers: Infinity War in 2018.

Distributor Sony had on Sunday estimated that Spider-Man: No Way Home was third on the list before the final figures were in.