According to Variety Spider-Man 3 will open first worldwide in Japan, on May 1, Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan has announced. It will also get its world preem in Tokyo.
The film premiere will be held at the Toho Cinemas Roppongi Hills in central Tokyo on April 16, with helmer Sam Raimi, series creator Stan Lee and stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco in attendance.
Sony had long skedded a May opening for Spidey 3, its big pic for 2007, but only recently decided on the May 1 date, three days ahead of its US bow. The exact number of screens has yet to be decided but will be north of 400, Sony sources said.
The distributor aims to beat the record of its big 2006 May release, "The Da Vinci Code," which finished with Y9.05 billion ($77.4 million). "Spider-Man 2," which opened in July 2004, grossed Y6.7 billion ($57.3 million) and "Spider-Man," which bowed in May of 2002, ended with Y7.5 billion ($64.1 million).