'SPIDEY' SPRINT WEB-SLINGER SWINGING FROM RECORD TO RECORD.Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer Box office phenomenon ``Spider-Man'' is poised to become the fastest film in movie history to cross the $200 million mark in ticket sales this weekend. The Sony Pictures Entertainment release has continued to shatter shat·ter v. shat·tered, shat·ter·ing, shat·ters v.tr. 1. To cause to break or burst suddenly into pieces, as with a violent blow. 2. a. box office records since it took in an astounding a·stound tr.v. a·stound·ed, a·stound·ing, a·stounds To astonish and bewilder. See Synonyms at surprise. [From Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen, $114.8 million during its opening weekend, easily outdistancing the previous industry mark set by ``Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' by nearly $25 million. Since then, the movie has gone on to set the record for most ticket sales on a nonholiday Monday ($11 million) and became the fastest movie to cross the $150 million mark. ``This is a sprint the likes of which we have never seen before,'' said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box-office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations. ``It's like it's in this race and it just keeps breaking records.'' As of Thursday evening, ``Spider-Man'' had grossed $151.6 million in seven days, edging the record set by ``Potter'' which took eight days to cross that mark. Helping the web-slinging superhero su·per·he·ro n. pl. su·per·he·roes A figure, especially in a comic strip or cartoon, endowed with superhuman powers and usually portrayed as fighting evil or crime. scale these astounding heights has been the remarkable midweek business for ``Spider-Man'' which sold a minimum of $8 million in tickets each weekday. Dergarabedian projects that ``Spider-Man'' will unquestionably un·ques·tion·a·ble adj. Beyond question or doubt. See Synonyms at authentic. un·ques  tion·a·bil surpass $200 million in grosses this weekend. The only
mystery is whether this milestone will occur on Saturday or Sunday.
Either way, it will make more box office history because the current
record-holder, ``Star Wars: Episode One - The Phantom
Menace MENACE. A threat; a declaration of an intention to cause evil to happen to another.2. When menaces to do an injury to another have been made, the party making them may, in general, be held to bail to keep the peace; and, when followed by any inconvenience or ,'' took 13 days to reach $200 million and ``Potter'' took 15 days. ``This film is redefining the way we look at box office numbers and raises the bar yet again on what we come to think of as benchmarks for blockbusters and how fast we can achieve them,'' Dergarabedian said. Directed by Sam Raimi, ``Spider-Man'' stars Tobey Maguire as the superhero and his alter-ego, Peter Parker Peter Parker may refer to:
``Spider-Man'' will be in 3,615 theaters this weekend and on more than 7,000 individual screens nationwide. The film will not face major head-to- head competition until Thursday when ``Star Wars: Episode 2 - Attack of the Clones'' opens in theaters. Meanwhile, ``Spider-Man'' is expected to continue to lap the field this weekend although the new 20th Century Fox film ``Unfaithful,'' which bows in 2,613 theaters and has enjoyed strong critical buzz, could find an audience. The movie is the portrait of an affair and stars Richard Gere and Diane Lane Diane Lane (born January 22 1965) is an Academy Award-nominated American actress. Biography Early life Lane was born in New York City, the daughter of Colleen Farrington, a night club singer and Playboy . Also opening in wide release and targeting the teen audience is ``The New Guy'' from Sony and Revolution Studios. It debuts in 2,687 theaters. ``You'd rather be opening against the second weekend of 'Spider-Man' than the first,'' Dergarabedian said. ``'Unfaithful' is an adult movie, and it's a counter-programming move that could pay off. It's just hard not to be overshadowed.'' CAPTION(S): box Box: SPIDEY'S HEROIC he·ro·ic adj. Relating to a risky medical procedure that may endanger the patient but also has a possibility of being successful, whereas lesser action would result in failure. FIGURES SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co. Daily News |
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