Spider-Man: No Way Home broke some major pandemic era box office records this weekend as the film hit $253 million domestically and $587 million globally, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
It’s certainly a feat for Sony Pictures and Marvel as it’s going to end up the most profitable film in a very very long time. A shot in the arm for a business that is potentially dying a slow death thanks to studios funneling major feature film releases to streaming services or having streaming options compete directly with a theatrical release.
Does this mean theaters are finally back? A statement reused anytime a studio blockbuster makes money.
Well, yes and no. The Spider-Man sequel was always seen as a juggernaut release, given that Spider-Man: Far From Home became the first installment to make over a billion dollars. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with other December releases like The Matrix Resurrections and others going into early 2022.
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has triggered multiple restrictions across the globe and might continue to get increasingly worse over the winter, leading to reduced capacity or shutting down theaters entirely. This being an extremely transmissible version of the virus means that normal precautions used in the past might not be enough and might directly impact theaters being able to continue to earn big money as populations deal with this new incarnation.
I think we’ll know more once audiences get Spidey out of their systems and realize that this new COVID surge isn’t going away just because people are tired of hearing/dealing with it or the regular apathy that has always been attached to the pandemic. Common sense will have to eventually click in at some point.
For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero’s identity is revealed, bringing his Super Hero responsibilities into conflict with his normal life and putting those he cares about most at risk. When he enlists Doctor Strange’s help to restore his secret, the spell tears a hole in their world, releasing the most powerful villains who’ve ever fought a Spider-Man in any universe. Now, Peter will have to overcome his greatest challenge yet, which will not only forever alter his own future but the future of the Multiverse.
SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
THE RONIN 