Sony and Marvel Studios' Spider-Man: Homecoming is poised to cross $100 million stateside this weekend and become Sony's second-best domestic opening for the character.
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After earning $15.4 million in Thursday previews, Homecoming saw a surge on Friday, with the film now expected to open well over the latest $100 million estimates. According to Deadline's latest numbers, Homecoming should open between $115 million to $119.6 million when all is said and done, making it the second best opening stateside for a Spider-Man film, only behind Spider-Man 3's $151.1 million opening back in 2007.
Word of mouth on the film, which has received a certified fresh score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, continues to propel it beyond the original projections. In fact, when Homecoming originally came on tracking three weeks out from release, a $90 million opening seemed more than likely for the latest Spider-Man franchise. That would have put the film on par with Sony's Amazing Spider-Man films, both of which opened in the $90 million range stateside upon their release. Now a $100 million opening weekend looks to be guaranteed, even if things should change through Saturday or Sunday.
Per Deadline, worst case scenario, the film should still open around $113 million -- which would make it the third best opening for Sony and Spider-Man, with the original film having opened to $114.8 million back in 2002. Still an impressive feat for both Sony and the character, as it would still put it ahead of the poorly received Amazing Spider-Man franchise.
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What's helping the film beat expectations? Word of mouth, certainly, but the fact that this is Spider-Man's first outing within the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn't hurt, either. Outside of his small cameo in last year's Captain America: Civil War, which saw Spidey join Iron Man to take on Team Cap, this will be the first time fans get to see the web-slinger swing into his own movie with ties to the greater MCU. Following Homecoming, Holland's Peter Parker will next be seen in Avengers: Infinity War, before returning for the sequel to Homecoming which will bring in another Marvel hero to join the web-slinger on screen in place of Iron Man.
In theaters now, director Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: Homecoming stars Tom Holland as Spider-Man and Michael Keaton as Vulture, in addition to Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Tyne Daly, Bokeem Woodbine, Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr.