Let’s say, on average, these movies pull in $10 million. That would mean Sony would provide an $80 million boost to the box office at a time when theaters could desperately use it. Even with the help of “Dune: Part Two” and “Kung Fu Panda 4,” 2024 domestic ticket sales are still down nearly 10% compared to this same point last year. For Sony, it’s essentially free money. Yes, they are going to spend a little bit on a marketing campaign, but it’s a drop in the bucket. Anything they collect will pretty much automatically be profit. There’s no good reason not to do this. Sony has nothing to lose, theaters stand to gain, and everyone wins.
The upside potential here could be big. Raimi’s “Spider-Man” movies (particularly the first two) are beloved classics at this point, and many fans haven’t ever had the chance to see them on the big screen. Granted, it’s tough to imagine a ton of people showing up for more infamous movies like “Spider-Man 3” or “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” but the hits far outweigh the misses here. Even at a time when superhero movies are faltering at the box office, these beloved classics could do the trick.
Speaking of superhero fatigue, Sony’s “Madame Web” faltered badly at the box office, earning just $97 million globally to date. That’s even less than “Morbius.” So, looking at this another way, the whole endeavor could help Sony make up some lost revenue they expected to pull in with their failed “Spider-Man” spin-off. It’s Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland to the rescue.
It all kicks off when Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” hits theaters on April 15, 2024.
