‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ swings back to the top spot at the box office as ‘The Flash’ falls
LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” swung its webs back to the top of the box office while “The Flash” saw a faster decline than the film’s fast-paced nature.
Spidey’s animated sequel — starring Shameik Moore as teen web-slinger Miles Morales — recaptured the No. 1 spot in its fourth week in North American theaters, grossing $19.3 million. The latter number helped the Sony film reach $317.1 million domestically and an impressive $560.3 million worldwide.
“It’s rare that a movie like this creeps up and flips a web back to the No. 1 position,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. “It is a testament to the quality of the film. This is a very competitive and crowded marketplace for summer movies. And yet ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ has stood out as one of the biggest films of this summer season.”
“Spider-Verse” beat out “Elemental”, which took second place for the second week in a row with an estimated $18.5 million. The movie held up after Pixar’s worst three-day opening last week.
No other movie saw such a dramatic drop as “The Flash” with $15.2 million for the big budget offering. Second-week output for the DC and Warner Bros. superhero movie starring Ezra Miller dropped 72% after opening with a below-par $55 million.
So far, the numbers “The Flash” has accumulated are no match for a movie with a $200 million production budget. Some attribute the film’s struggles to Miller’s off-screen behavior, including arrests and misconduct. The actor has apologized and sought mental health treatment.
“Sometimes it’s not the opening weekend that tells the whole story – especially with ‘Elemental,'” said Dergarabedian. “It’s more about the challenges that a film like ‘The Flash’ can sometimes face, which are multifaceted, and which are very difficult to overcome.”
“The Flash” could barely beat “No Hard Feelings,” starring Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman. The R-rated comedy from Sony, which opened in fourth place with $15.1 million, tells a story about a teen’s parents who have hired a woman (Lawrence) to date and boosted his confidence.
With “Spider-Verse” and “No Hard Feelings,” Dergarabedian said Sony should be pleased with the turnout for both films.
“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” came in fifth with $11.6 million in its third week with a total of $122.9 million. It came ahead of Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City,” which outperformed expectations at $9 million.
Ranked seventh, “The Little Mermaid” raked in $8.6 million to bring its total to over $270 million.
Dergarabedian said he expects a good draw for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which opens June 30.
“It doesn’t matter what the reviews are. I know the reviews are mixed. But the fan of the summer movie who wants to go to the cinema, you can’t wait it out,” he said. “It will really be the audience that will decide the ultimate success of this film.”
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at theaters in the US and Canada, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.
1. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” $19.3 million.
2. “Elementary”, $18.4 million.
3. The Flash, $15.2 million.
4. “No Hard Feelings”, 15.1 million.
5. “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” $11.6 million.
6. “Asteroid City” $9 million.
7. “The Little Mermaid”, $8.6 million.
8. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” $3.5 million.
9. “The Blackening,” $3 million.
