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'Spider-Man 3' Breaks Opening Day Record

Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man 3

May 5, 2007

Spider-Man 3 cast the widest web ever—over 10,000 screens at 4,252 theaters—and nabbed the all-time biggest gross for a single day: an estimated $59 million on Friday.

The previous title holder, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, drew $55.8 million on 8,500 screens at 4,133 theaters, contributing to a record-breaking $135.6 million weekend last July.

Distributor Sony projected Saturday morning that Spider-Man 3 would generate from $135 million to $145 million for the weekend (Friday to Sunday). The studio claimed a $258 million production budget for the Marvel Comics sequel, compared to $200 million for Spider-Man 2 and $139 million for Spider-Man.

By shattering the opening day record, Spider-Man 3 followed the path of the first two movies in the franchise as Spider-Man's $39.4 million and Spider-Man 2's $40.4 million set new benchmarks. Adjusted for ticket price inflation, those days would equal around $45 million and $43 million, respectively.

Additionally, Spider-Man 3 raked in an estimated $45 million overseas on Friday, according to Sony. Combined with domestic's $59 million, the sequel pulled in $104 million worldwide, the highest-grossing day ever for a single picture.