At long last, Spider-Man: Homecoming has finally hit theaters and we can see if it was worth the hype. While we’re sitting here wondering if everyone will think its good – unlike the last few Spider-Movies – executives are watching the box-office numbers. Variety is offering estimates from $85 to $100 million for the opening weekend, while Sony is being a bit more conservative, estimating around $80 million.
The most recent Spider-Man film, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, on the other hand, took in $91.6 million for its opening.
That isn’t as bad as it sounds, though. When the critically-panned Spider-Man 3 hit theaters back in 2007, it raked in $151 million, while Andrew Garfield’s first outing in The Amazing Spider-Man only brought in $62 million. Audiences are wary of a new guy, it seems.
This kid has moxy
Tom Holland, though, has a lot going for him that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield didn’t. As Variety notes, the movie’s high-school characters and setting make this an especially family-friendly superhero film, while the last year or so have seen releases like Deadpool and Logan that have performed well but had limited audiences. Just about anyone can go see Spider-Man: Homecoming, and that’s sure to make it an appealing destination for parents and younger viewers. It’s also the only big release this weekend. When a Marvel movie’s opening, you get out of the way.
The biggest potential money-maker this new Spidey has in his corner is a billionaire named Tony Stark. Thanks to Homecoming‘s explicit connection to the MCU, Marvel and Sony can rely on carryover from movies like Captain America: Civil War, which have garnered a huge fanbase thanks to their interconnected universe, which moviegoers feel compelled to stay caught-up on. It’s this that has me wondering if we won’t see it surpass that $100 million marker.
But New Guy Syndrome is tough, and this is the third new Spidey since 2000.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is in theaters now.