New Spider-Man movie brings in $253 million to become 3rd-biggest opening in box office history

"Spider-Man: No Way Home" notched the third-highest opening weekend in box office history domestic box office by bringing in an estimated $253 million, way exceeding original projections by $123 million.

Only "Avengers: Endgame" in 2019 and "Avengers: Infinity War" in 2018 opened to larger numbers, according to its studio, Sony (SNE).

It took only a day for "No Way Home" to become the highest-grossing opening of any movie during the pandemic and only a weekend to become the highest-grossing film of 2021.

The opening was also the best for the Spider-Man franchise and for Sony Pictures.

The latest movie in the Marvel series also registered the highest opening weekend for December. It has so far made $587.2 million worldwide, says SNE.

Tom Rothman, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures, said the success of 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' reaffirms the unmatched cultural impact that exclusive theatrical films can have when made and marketed with vision and resolve.

Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore (SCOR), called the opening "astonishing" and that it gave the pandemic-hit industry both a spiritual and box-office boost that could propel it into the new year."

While other box office records have fallen in the past, this weekend for "No Way Home" is particularly impressive.