As the kick-off movie for the summer movie season, Sony Pictures’ The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had Thursday night previews in many of its 4,324 theaters across North America, where it earned an estimated $8.7 million.
The previous installment The Amazing Spider-Man, released over the 4th of July weekend in 2012, brought in $7.5 million in its own midnight screenings, although Marvel Studios’ Captain America: The Winter Soldier boasted $10.2 million in Thursday preview grosses just one month back. On the other hand, Spidey’s amount is just slightly lower than the $9 million Thursday gross for Warner Bros.’ Man of Steel last year, which went on to gross $116.6 million its opening weekend. It’s a far cry from the Thursday openings for the last two May/summer kick-off movies, Marvel’s The Avengers in 2012 and last year’s Iron Man 3, both which brought in over $15 million on Thursday night alone.
Being that The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which once again stars Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, joined by Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan and Paul Giamatti, is likely to bring in more kids than the Marvel’s darker spy thriller, there’s a good chance that it will make up for the lower opening on Saturday and Sunday, and we’re still looking at an opening somewhere in the $90 million range based on those Thursday numbers.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has already grossed $155 million internationally and it’s also opening in China and Brazil this weekend.
