Hollywood
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ leaps to box office success amid Omicron concerns
Los Angeles: No one could be surprised that ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ would be one of this year’s box office biggest heroes but it’s spinning its way to becoming the best December domestic opening with $253 million, the best ever for Sony and the third best-ever among all films beating 2015’s ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ domestic opening of $247.9 million.
The film, released exclusively in theatres, is attracting enthusiastic moviegoers with record-breaking support in the US. This is big news for theaters whose continued existence seems under constant threat due to the sustained Covid-19 pandemic.
American Multi-Cinema (AMC) announced Friday that roughly 1.1 million moviegoers attended the opening night of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ in the US, making it the highest-grossing opening night for a December title in AMC’s history. Cinemark called the film’s debut its “best opening night of all time.” And Regal said the film became its second-highest Thursday box office title in its history and shattered records for IMAX, 4DX, ScreenX, and RPX formats.
Worldwide, the film, starring Tom Holland as Marvel’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, is crushing box office records — with this weekend’s global $587.2 million tally, it ranks as the third-biggest worldwide debut in history behind “Avengers: Endgame” (a historic $1.2 billion) and “Avengers: Infinity War” ($640 million). Notably, the top two films opened in China, which is currently the world’s biggest movie-going market, while ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ has yet to secure a release date there.
In India, the movie continues to keep the Indian box office buzzing. In just three days, the film has managed to cross the Rs 100 crore mark beating other Bollywood films. The much-awaited superhero action film was released on 16 December across 3,264 screens in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu versions.
“This weekend’s historic ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ results, from all over the world and in the face of many challenges, reaffirm the unmatched cultural impact that exclusive theatrical films can have when they are made and marketed with vision and resolve,” said Sony’s Motion Picture Group chairman and CEO Tom Rothman as reported in Variety. “All of us at Sony Pictures, are deeply grateful to the fabulous talent, both in front of and behind the camera, that produced such a landmark film. Thanks to their brilliant work, this Christmas everyone can enjoy the big screen gift of 2021’s mightiest Super Hero — your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”
Credit should also be given to Marvel itself for amping up the prestige of this sequel and fueling fans’ anticipation for months. Directed by Jon Watts, the third chapter in Holland’s trilogy takes place after Peter Parker’s identity is revealed to the world, upending the lives of his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya), his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), and his aunt May (Marisa Tomei).
Critics have embraced ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, describing the film as a “satisfying meta-adventure.” Audiences have been equally receptive; the movie secured an “A+” CinemaScore and a 99 per cent Rotten Tomatoes average.
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ delivered a particularly strong turnout in western Europe, led by the United Kingdom. In the UK, ticket sales reached $41.4 million during its extended five-day opening to notch the fourth-biggest debut ever in that market. The film opened in France with $17.8 million, Italy with $13 million, Germany with $11.4 million, and Spain with $10.4 million. In eastern Europe, Russia led with $17.4 million, followed by Ukraine ($2.4 million) and Turkey ($1.4 million).
Latin American countries webbed up $79.5 million in total, with Mexico’s five-day tally hitting $32.4 million, the country’s highest of all time. Argentina also recorded its best box office debut with $6.8 million, as did Ecuador with $3.7 million.
In Asia, the movie notched the largest tally in South Korea ($23.7 million), followed by Hong Kong ($6.3 million). Other notable markets include Saudi Arabia ($5.2 million), Israel ($2.7 million), and New Zealand ($2.3 million).
Hollywood
Disney sells out ad slots for 98th Oscars broadcast
Strong demand for live events turns the Academy Awards into a global, multi-platform marketing moment
NEW YORK: Hollywood’s biggest night has also become one of advertising’s hottest tickets. Disney has sold out all advertising inventory for the 98th Oscars, underscoring the growing demand from brands eager to ride the cultural wave of major live events.
The sell-out marks the sixth consecutive live tentpole success for Disney Advertising. The streak includes last year’s 97th Oscars, the 59th Annual CMA Awards, and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, signalling strong appetite among marketers for moments that bring audiences together in real time.
For advertisers, the Oscars are no longer just a single night of glitz and gold statues. Disney’s “Content Everywhere” strategy has expanded the awards show into a sprawling, multi-platform brand playground spanning linear television, streaming, social media and digital content.
“Live continues to be one of the most powerful ways for brands to connect with engaged audiences at scale, and the Oscars represent the very best of culture, creativity and community,” said Disney Advertising SVP, entertainment and streaming solutions John Campbell. He added that the company has reshaped the show’s commercial potential into a connected experience that stretches well beyond the broadcast.
Brands such as Mazda, Pfizer and Volkswagen of America are tapping into Disney’s wider ecosystem, appearing across original content segments including Know Your Movies on Hulu and Critically Acclaimed on Disney+. Partnerships also extend to social media through TikTok Pulse Premiere and to custom brand storytelling created by Disney CreativeWorks.
The result is what Disney calls the “Oscars Everywhere” approach. Rather than a few high-profile ad breaks, advertisers now find themselves woven through a series of moments before, during and after the ceremony.
These include On The Red Carpet at The Oscars, a live pre-show syndicated across major local markets and streamed nationwide, and the After the Oscars Show, which keeps the conversation going once the final award has been handed out.
This year’s sponsors include Rolex, returning for its ninth year, and Burger King, which joins the Oscars advertiser roster for the first time. Other brands in the mix include Disney Cruise Line, Dunkin’, Eli Lilly and Company, Eucerin, Intuit TurboTax, L’Oréal, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Miebo, Paris Baguette, Peacock, Starbucks, State Farm, Toyota and Verizon.
The 98th Oscars will take place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC and streamed on Hulu, reaching audiences in more than 200 territories worldwide.
