'Spider-Man' Breaks $300 Million in Record Time
by Brandon Gray
May 26, 2002

The litany of records for Spider-Man just keep on piling up. The famed webslinger scaled to an estimated $305,110,000 on Friday—its 22nd day of release—making it the fastest movie to ever hit $300 million.

Spider-Man swung past Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace to claim the title. The prequel hit the $300 million in its 28th day of release on its way to a $431,088,297 final tally.

But Spidey didn't stop there.

On Saturday, Marvel Comics adaptation's total climbed to an estimated $316,557,000, shooting past The Lion King ($312,855,561), The Lord of the Ring: The Fellowship of the Ring ($310,271,162), Return of the Jedi ($309,306,177) and Independence Day ($306,169,255) on the all time chart to land at No. 8.

On Sunday, Spider-Man will surpass Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ($317,575,550) to reach No. 7, and then on Monday it will eclipse Forrest Gump ($329,694,499) to hit No. 6.

What's more, Spider-Man ranks it as one of the most popular movies ever even when ticket price inflation is taken into account. That $316,557,000 tally places it at No. 59 on the adjusted all time list, right behind West Side Story ($317 million) and ahead of Lady and the Tramp ($315 million).