Across the Spider-Verse, the multiverses spinning animated Spider-Man spinoff, sailed way past expectations. Across the Spider-Verse opened in U.S. and Canadian theaters with a massive $120.5 million, more than tripling the debut of the 2018 animated original and showing the kind of movie-to-movie box-office growth that would be the envy of even the mightiest of Hollywood franchises.
Sony Pictures’ Across the Spider-Verse, the multi-verse spinning animated Spider-Man spinoff, sailed way past expectations, according to studio estimates Sunday, riding terrific reviews (95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and strong buzz for the hotly anticipated follow-up to the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
In the sometimes formulaic realm of superhero movies, 2018′s Into the Spider-Verse offered a blast of originality, introducing a teenage webslinger from Brooklyn, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a punk-rock Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) and a host of other Spider-People. It launched with $35.4 million on its way to $384.3 million worldwide.
Making Across the Spider-Verse cost $100 million, or roughly half as much as the typical live-action comic book movie. It massively expands the movie’s universe-skipping worlds. In light of this, Across the Spider-Verse would have been a success even with the predicted opening weekend box office of $80 million for Spider-Verse.
Instead, it has turned out to be a box-office sensation, and the second largest domestic opening of 2023, trailing only The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Across the Spider-Verse, directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson, even topped Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which debuted with $118 million, for best opening weekend of the summer so far.
The film, shepherded by writer-producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, is part two in a trilogy that will conclude with a third chapter to be released next year. Across the Spider-Verse over-performed abroad, too, with $88.1 million overseas.