While it’s too early to say for certain that the newest Spider-Man film is a success, its current box office numbers leave its creators hopeful. Already on the Thursday preview showings, the film has earned $15.4 million. This is especially impressive because the movie only opened in a fraction of theaters nationwide. Furthermore, it was a stronger opening preview showing than the massively successful Wonder Woman film, which earned $11M on its first Thursday. According to Deadline, the expected pull after Thursday night and today’s wide rollout is $42-$45 million.
Like many high-priced Marvel superhero movies, the film’s budget totaled high, at around 175 million dollars. Box office predictions are currently reporting at least $105 million dollars for the film’s opening weekend, and an upwards of $120M. While many of Marvel’s films tend to perform well at the box office, the margin for profit decreases drastically thanks to two hallmarks of superhero movies: an expensive budget and extensive advertising. In comparison, the highest grossing opening weekend for a Spider-Man movie was Spider-Man 3 in 2007 with $151.1M.
Marvel seems to be taking into account the fact that the film may be a risk, given that it boasts the third cinematic incarnation of Spider-Man in fifteen years. By casting several mainstays of the MCU in the film (such as Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark and Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts), they have provided an incentive for less-interested fans to put down the cash for yet another reboot. This also allows Marvel to stick to one of its strengths: a cohesive and interconnected universe. Furthermore, by casting recurring Disney actress and social activist Zendaya Coleman, Marvel has added an appeal for those whose interests reside outside of the MCU.
Other actors in the film include Tom Holland as Spider-man, Michael Keaton as the villain known as Vulture, Laura Harrier as Liz Allan, Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds, and Donald Glover as Aaron Davis. So far, the film has garnered favorable reviews, making box office success extremely likely.