Why Hollywood May Be Overreading Spider-Man’s Box Office Win

Tom Rothman says the message from the box office is simple. Movies are not dead, and theaters still matter. That was the reaction from the Sony Pictures chairman after Spider-Man: Brand New Day smashed expectations over the weekend, according to an interview with Variety. The film, starring Tom Holland as Marvel’s web-slinging hero, reportedly opened to $360 million domestically and $932 million worldwide, which made it the biggest domestic debut ever and the second-largest global debut in history. The movie also helped power the largest collective weekend at the box office to date, with support from Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Rothman called the start “miraculous” and said Spider-Man brings people together across age groups and cultures. “People can piss on theatrical all they want, but that’s one thing that only movies and movie theaters can do,” Rothman said. This summer is shaping up as the strongest since the pandemic, after successes like The Devil Wears Prada 2, Toy Story 5, Obsession, and Backrooms are being seen as signs that moviegoing still has life. Still, the bigger question is what Hollywood will do with the success. Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro used the results of Sp...