‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Crushes Box Office Competition While ‘Matrix: Resurrections’ and ‘Sing 2’ Battle For Number Two Spot

Nearly a week has passed since “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was released but the movie is still totally dominating the box office. This is especially notable during the busy holiday season when studios take advantage of people having time off work and want something to do. A slew of heavily promoted, high-profile new releases dropped in theaters over the past few days. But they’re no match for Spidey, it seems.

One of the most anticipated of these offerings was “The Matrix: Resurrections.” The fourth installment in the “Matrix” franchise is the first in 18 years and brings back key characters, including Keanu Reeves as Neo and Carrie-Ann Moss as Trinity. But despite the cult-like fan following, it seems “Resurrections” is battling it out with the animated, family-friendly flick “Sing 2” for the number two position.

Both “Matrix: Resurrections” and “Sing 2” are expected to rake in around $40 million opening weekend after being released Wednesday, a few days ahead of the holiday rush. But they’ll be no match for “No Way Home.”

The newest “Spider-Man” installment out-earned predictions, raking in $260 million in the first weekend alone. Add that to overseas sales and the film has grossed an incredible $680 million worldwide with no signs of slowing down. Variety reported that it’s poised to become the first pandemic-era release to earn $1 billion in ticket sales.

There are a few reasons for this. First, superhero movies tend to outperform other genres with their appeal to multiple age groups. Studio execs have also noted the hesitation middle-aged moviegoers feel going to movie theaters as the Omicron variant continues making headlines. That was the excuse given for the massive failure of Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” which came out earlier in December.

There’s a chance “Sing 2” could best “Matrix” after the holiday because parents taking their children to the movies would likely buy tickets to the former. But then again, they could also take the kids to see “Spider-Man” instead, which seems like the most likely scenario. (It’s worth noting that “Sing 2” is rated PG while “No Way Home” is PG-13, limiting the audience to older kids.) 

Other releases for the weekend include “American Underdog,” which is earning high praise among critics and fans alike, the spy action film “The King’s Man,” which has been panned by reviewers, and “A Journal for Jordan,” which is also getting low scores, and some other smaller titles.

“No Way Home” has managed to find favor with both critics and audiences, which is no small feat. The Observer called it, “An overflowing, funnel-web cornucopia of treats for Spider-fans.” Meanwhile, a ReelViews critic said, “As superhero movies go, this one offers its share of satisfying moments and is guaranteed to warm the heart of any Spider-Man movie fan, regardless of when their fandom started.”

Fans also loved how the entire film focused on positive, universal messaging that wasn’t overtly political like so many other contemporary movies being released lately. It was made for the fans and they reacted favorably by reaching for their wallets.

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” is currently in theaters. It’s rated 94% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and has a 99% fan score.

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