While there's no denying the pandemic continues to have a negative impact on box office takings around the globe, it appears Spider-Man: No Way Home will be the movie that saves the day this December. Fandango has announced that the upcoming threequel has beaten the record held by 2019's Avengers: Endgame for the first day of pre-sales on Fandango.
As we're sure you'll remember, that movie ended - release prior to the pandemic - went on to earn $357.1 million at the domestic box office during its first weekend in theaters.
It took Spider-Man: No Way Home only two hours to beat Black Widow (which held Fandango's pre-sale record for 2021 before today), and it's looking like the Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures production could become the first post-pandemic movie to earn upwards of $1 billion at the worldwide box office. Had the world been normal, you have to believe the sky would have been the limit.
"Spider-Man: No Way Home promises to wrap a bow around 20 years of live-action Spider-Man movies, and anticipation is through the roof with fans anxious to see how Tom Holland’s Homecoming trilogy conclude," Fandango Managing Editor Erik Davis tells Deadline. "The most anticipated film of the season promises to deliver surprises on every level and December 17 can’t come soon enough."
According to the trade, current projections have Spider-Man: No Way Home opening with upwards of $100 million, placing it in the top 5 December openings of all-time. We'll be keeping a close eye on how these numbers continue to change over the next couple of weeks, so keep checking back for updates.