Miles Morales' first big-screen adventure is turning into a money-maker for Sony, as the animatedSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Versestuck $12.6 million on Friday night, with estimates pointing toward a $35-40 million opening weekend. Any debut in that range would mark the highest animated opening of all time for the month of December.
Directed byPeter Ramsey,Bob Persichetti, andRodney Rothman,Spider-VersestarsThe Get DownstarShameik Mooreas Morales, a young Brooklynite who sees his world turned topsy-turvy when A) He’s bitten by a radioactive spider, and B) a rift in reality sends alt-universe Spider-People like Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage), Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn), and Spider-Ham (John Mulaney) into his dimension. The movie, to use a highly technical term, owns so hard it should be the president;Spider-Verseis currently rocking an A+ Cinemascore, and our own Matt Golbergcalled ita “bright, dazzling, clever, and sweet new Spider-Man.”
Coming in second place on Friday night isThe Mule—Clint Eastwood’s ode to real-life 90-year-old drug runner Earl Stone—which brought in $5.8 million, on-track to finish the weekend at $17-18 million. The film is reportedly skewing toward the older crowd, which is quite possibly the least surprising fact of all time.
Mortal Engines—the massive fantasy CGI extravaganza directed byChristian Riversand notPeter Jackson, despite what every billboard in Los Angeles wants you to believe—has a rickety wheel right out of the gate. The film only managed a $2.8 million Friday, trending toward a weak $7-9 million opening on a reported $100 million budget.
Meanwhile, Fox’s PG-13 re-release ofDeadpool 2, re-titledOnce Upon a Deadpool, added another $740,000 to its haul, bringing its total box office since its December 12 opening to around $2 million.
At the specialty box office,Barry Jenkins' Oscar-hopefulIf Beale Street Could Talkopened to an impressive $81, 575 on four screens.
Take a look at Friday’s numbers below and check back tomorrow for full weekend estimates. (Numbers viaBox Office Mojo)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
$12,600,000
$5,850,000
Mortal Engines
$2,820,000
Dr. Seuss' The Grinch
$2,770,000
$230,479,710
Ralph Breaks the Internet
$2,114,000
$146,989,878
