In a wild-card factor, it disrupted this year’s awards trajectory by winning animation feature awards from the two most important critics’ groups (New York and Los Angeles), with overall reviews a little better than expected contenders “Incredibles 2” and Wes Anderson’s “Isle of Dogs.”.It also celebrates its female character, with a sequel slated to be mostly female. This reinvention here goes even further with an African-American teen becoming an alternative Spider-Man.Sony’s reinvention of the “Spider-Man” franchise lacks a dark side, which makes it better suited to animation and to the season.Here’s why “Spider-Verse” could conceivably vie as one of the top Christmas release this year. Sony Pictures Animation Or, It Could Beat All Expectations Thus in context, as successful as that would be, based on precedent that would seem to be its maximum. And its budget is well below nearly all Marvel films as well as most high-end Pixar and similar animated features.īut “only” $175 million wouldn’t place this even in the top 80 cartoon features over the past four decades, as well as a shortfall compared to most and especially recent Marvel releases. Half of the most recent “Spider-Man” live-action release suggests a $175 million total.Īgain, $175 million is a pretty good gross, with foreign adding more. “LEGO” made just under $180 million, a little over half the most recent “Batman” film. Comic-Book History Limits Expectationsīoth “Big Hero 6” (released in November, playing through Christmas) and “The LEGO Batman Movie” in February) and saw decent, but below-average, grosses compared to comic book juggernauts. The reality could turn out to be far different. That suggested the mid-December date with two weekends before the actual holiday (and Sony opening another film, “Holmes and Watson,” on the 25th) might be a sign of secondary release. “Ferdinand” last year, and 2015’s “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip” fell short. This might be a case where, similar to putting “Black Panther” in February, it’s wisely thinking outside the box.Īnimated features released at or around Christmas tend not to reach $100 million. So there’s a suspicion that if Marvel puts a film in December, it thinks its performance will be more modest. Interestingly, “Spider-Verse” is a rare Marvel title to open in December: The producers shy away from dates in which they don’t have an open field, which Christmas never is. 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' and 'Nope' Lead Early Best Original Screenplay Contenders Look at That 'Smile': It's #1 Again in an Otherwise Dire October 'TÁR' Sticks Its Landing, Joy for 'Triangle of Sadness': Specialized Box Office Is Back So why not expect more from “Spider-Verse”? Because “Big Hero 6” opened in early November, and most of its take came from before Christmas Day. Two this year (“Black Panther” and “Avengers: Infinity War”) took in around $700 million to become the top two hits of 2018.Įven the one previous animated Marvel-character film, 2014’s “Big Hero 6,” made (adjusted) a little under $250 million.

The last 10 Marvel releases have domestic grosses of $200 million of more.

Spider man into the spider verse