LOS ANGELES (AFP) - The new Spider-Man became the first billion-dollar-grossing film of the pandemic era over the Christmas weekend, reaching the milestone while holding firmly to the North American box office top spot, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said on Sunday (Dec 26).
Spider-Man: No Way Home, British star Tom Holland's third solo outing in the wildly popular role, has grossed US$467.3 million (S$634 million) in North America and US$587 million internationally, raking in more than US$1 billion over 12 days and proving analysts' predictions that it could reach the milestone sum.
It rocketed to that benchmark at a speed only matched by Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), according to industry outlet Variety, and comes even as the rapid spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant casts a pall over holiday outings worldwide.
Sony's latest instalment of the comic-inspired series took an estimated US$81.5 million in North America for the three-day period over the Christmas weekend, holding its top spot after scoring the third-biggest domestic opening of all time with more than US$260 million, smashing early estimates.
Its debut box office sales trailed only 2019's Avengers: Endgame (US$357 million) and the previous year's Avengers: Infinity War (US$258 million), according to the BoxOfficeMojo website.
With an estimated US$23.8 million, Sing 2, Universal's star-studded animated jukebox musical follow-up to Sing (2016), was this weekend's runner-up.
It beat out two other new series instalments: The Matrix Resurrections from Warner Bros, in which actor Keanu Reeves reprises his iconic role as Neo, underperformed at US$12 million.
In fourth place, also earning less than expected, was The King's Man, 20th Century's spy prequel to the Kingsman films (2014 to 2017), with US$6.4 million.
Lionsgate's American Underdog - based on the true story of former American football quarterback Kurt Warner, who went from stocking shelves at a grocery store to National Football League Most Valuable Player - slid in at number five on its opening weekend with an estimated US$6.2 million.
Rounding out the top 10 were West Side Story (US$2.8 million); Licorice Pizza (US$2.3 million); A Journal For Jordan (US$2.2 million); Encanto (US$2 million) and 83 (US$1.8 million).
