HOLLYWOOD - Look out! Here comes the Spider-Man!The friendly neighborhood web-slinger may ignore wealth and fame, but that won't stop this $120 million adaptation of the vintage comic book from trying to shatter box office records.
The first of the summer's anticipated blockbusters, director Sam Raimi's spin on Spider-Man will attempt to do what X-Men and Men in Black fail to do before it: unseat Batman as the top-grossing film based on a comic book.
An early May release resulted in enduring runs for 1999's The Mummy ($155.3 million), 2000's Gladiator ($187 million) and The Mummy Returns ($202 million). Spider-Man faces no serious competition until the May 16 release of Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, which also is the only other potential blockbuster to hit theaters until mid-June.
Just like Superman, Spider-Man's enduring popularity extends beyond the pages of comic books. That should help Spider-Man debut somewhere between The Mummy Returns ($68.1 million) and The Lost World: Jurassic Park ($72.1 million) openings. Also, Spider-Man should trump the grosses of such fellow but lesser-known Marvel Comics superheroes X-Men ($54.4 million opening, $157.2 million total) and Blade 2 ($32.5 million opening, $79.4 million total through Sunday).
If Spider-Man indeed opens strong, it will attract significant Attack of the Clones spillover business, just as The Mummy did against Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace in 1999. This would help Spider-Man make a serious run at surpassing Batman's $251.1 million total.
Whereas Tim Burton's Batman was dark and brooding, Raimi's Spider-Man is bright but certainly not as garish or campy as the last two Batman sequels. It's also lovingly faithful to the comic book--even down to the way it sets up a sequel--but accessible enough to attract those who have no intention of ever reading a comic book or a graphic novel.
Tobey Maguire is perfectly nerdy as Peter Parker, the high school wallflower transformed into a man of action after being bitten by a radioactive spider. He faces an appropriately menacing Willem Dafoe, as Spidey's archenemy the Green Goblin, and pines for the spunky Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst).
The success--or even inconceivable failure--of Spider-Man could have tremendous ramifications on the various big-budget adaptations of other Marvel-related films in the works. Daredevil, with Ben Affleck as the man without fear, is scheduled for Jan. 17. X-Men 2 will occupy the early May 2003 slot. The Hulk, directed by Ang Lee, will begin his rampage in June 2003. Plans also are in the works for third Blade, a second attempt at The Punisher and The Sub-Mariner. Spider-Man could also be the impetus for such long-gestating projects as The Fantastic Four, The Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider and the next installments of such D.C. Comics staples as Superman and Batman.
With Spider-Man's arrival, The Rock might find himself subdued in much the same manner as the unfortunate wrestler whom Peter Parker throws around for a cash prize.
The WWF superstar's first vehicle, The Scorpion King, took a nasty 50 percent tumble in its second weekend, down from $36 million to $18 million. The Rock should serve as the No. 1 destination for those unable to pack into Spider-Man, but another 50 percent tumble this weekend looks likely.
Still, with a regal $64.3 million through Wednesday, The Scorpion King looks set to cross the $100 million barrier and cement The Rock's status as the next action hero.