Was The Amazing Spider-Man 2...amazing at the box office? Read on to find out!
Does the timid opening spell a larger problem with Sony's rollout plan?
Story by: Matt Cummings
The Amazing Spider-man 2 scored one of the best opening weekends of 2014, but it didn't come close to that of its predecessors. According to our friends at BoxOfficeMojo, the film opened domestically to an estimated $92 million. That's below Captain America: The Winter Soldier ($95 million) but higher than overall winner The LEGO Movie ($69 million) and 2013's Thor: The Dark World ($85.7 million). As usual, American movies are dong much better overseas, scoring $277 million in two extra weeks of release. When adding those numbers, it has a good chance to beat
ASM's $490 million total.
But, compared to previous releases in the series, this is a disappointing debut. Check out previous opening releases in both the Marc Webb and Sam Raimi era:
- ASM: $62 million
- Spider-man 3: $151 million
- Spider-man 2: $88 million
- Spider-man: $114 million
While some might quip that the Spider-man 1 & 3 openings occurred during the July 4th weekend and #2 premiered in September, people still go to the theaters when it's cold or rainy or when school is in session. So, we don't buy that logic. We're hoping these numbers are reflective of changes in inflation, otherwise the situation for ASM2 would be far worse. Having said that, 3D premiums and IMAX weren't fully established Must-See events like they are today, which doesn't work out in ASM 2's favor.
So why the sad faces? ASM2 made more money in its opening than the original (non-Sam Raimi), and the Spider-Man character in general remains very popular. Also, our Facebook poll suggest moviegoers prefer Andrew Garfield's performance over Tobey Maguire (we agree). We think that fans might be facing burnout on the series being rebooted, an unpopular idea with the public these days but a seeming necessity with studios. With the disastrous fallout that surrounded Spider-man 3, public opinion was decidedly mixed against the way Sony handled Raimi's situation. When the 2012 reboot didn't reach high enough - grossing the lowest of the entries so far ($262 million, down 22% from Spider-man 3), Director Marc Webb threw in a circus act of villains and shoehorned too many stories for audiences to keep up. Marketing also failed to push excitement beyond that of overused shoe, losing much of its thunder behind the hugely successful Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
While we're not ready to count the series dead in the water, it's clear that Sony has lost some of its energy or the respect among moviegoers. They've certainly improved upon many elements of the Raimi series, and their announcement to roll out films every 2-3 years matches that of Marvel. But copying a winner doesn't mean you too are a winner, and Marvel's total domination over the genre has to make Sony and 20th Century Fox execs very nervous for their own long-term plans. It was one of our
most anticipated films of May and of
2014 in general, but the lackluster numbers suggest a bigger problem that could affect their entire timeline.
ASM2 has been slaughtered in critics circles, averaging a measly 52 on MetaCritic, which represents the lowest score of any of the Spider-man films. Its long-term prospects aren't good: with a May offering big blockbusters and appealing small productions, ASM2 will most likely fall off quickly in the coming weeks. BoxOfficeMojo estimates a $230 million domestic performance, which would represent the lowest number for all five films.
ASM3 is scheduled for release in 2016 and
Sinister Six has already been announced - possibly to appear in 2016 as well - but with such disappointing numbers in the Webb era, he and Sony must be scratching their heads wondering where their beloved franchise has gone. We fans know the answer, and it might be time for them to get with the program.
Are you burned out on the
Spider-man franchise? Will you see the film, or will you see it again?
Discuss this review with fellow SJF fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @SandwichJohnFilms, and follow author Matt Cummings at @mfc90125.
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