Sony Pictures Animation has a big hit on its hands as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse just set a new record for a studio full of family hits.
After an electrifying $120 million opening weekend to kick off June's box office returns, Spider-Verse 2 has had continued success, dominating fellow Multiversal superhero flick The Flash.
The spectacular sequel already blazed passed Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which was a critical phenomenon but only grossed $375.5 million worldwide in 2018, proving Sony's understanding of how to make this universe succeed.
Spider-Verse 2 Breaks Sony Pictures Animation Record
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse passed $600 million at the worldwide box office, breaking the record for the highest-grossing film in Sony Pictures Animation history.
To date, Spider-Verse 2 has earned $607 million globally, swinging past the studio's previous record holder, The Smurfs, at $563 million.
The top 20 Sony Animation films include several Hotel Transylvania hits, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, The Smurfs, and many more family films, as listed by The Numbers:
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - $607 million (still in theaters)
- The Smurfs - $563 million
- Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation - $527 million
- Hotel Transylvania 2 - $469 million
- Hotel Transylvania - $378 million
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - $375 million
- The Smurfs 2 - $348 million
- Peter Rabbit - $346 million
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 - $274 million
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - $236 million
- The Emoji Movie - $216 million
- Smurfs: The Lost Village - $197 million
- Open Season - $191 million
- Goosebumps - $158 million
- The Angry Birds Movie 2 - $152 million
- Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway - $150 million
- Arthur Christmas - $147 million
- The Pirates! Band of Misfits - $136 million
- Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween - $93 million
- The Star - $62 million
For further context, Across the Spider-Verse hasn't topped any of the live-action Spider-Man films, trailing 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 by about $100 million.
Will Spider-Verse 3 Go Beyond the Box Office?
Following a similar (yet smaller-sized) trajectory as the MCU's Spider-Man: Homecoming trilogy, Beyond the Spider-Verse is primed to be this franchise's biggest winner.
Following that logic, Homecoming made $878.3 worldwide, followed by $1.1 billion from Far From Home and the all-time great $1.9 billion No Way Home performance.
In this animated Spider-Man franchise, the big jump was between Spider-Verse 1 & 2, which means fans perhaps shouldn't expect the same leap when Spider-Verse 3 releases in 2024.
However, it is fair to predict that it will earn even more than Spider-Verse 2, especially following a cliffhanger that fans are still discussing a month after its release.
If Across the Spider-Verse doesn't reach the $700 million mark, look out for Spider-Verse 3 to be the first animated spidey flick to outperform a live-action Sony Pictures production.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now playing in theaters worldwide.