The 'Spider-Man Far From Home' Ratings Will Have You Swinging Into Theaters
The Avengers have officially endgamed, Tony Stark is dead, but life goes on. That reality is part of what drives the new Spider-Man: Far From Home, the second co-production between Sony and Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe as part of the grand bargain to bring Spidey home to the MCU. The first Spider-Man these companies teamed up to make was considered a return to form for the stand-alone franchise, rebirthing the character for the MCU while giving Sony a new lease on Spider-verse life. The new Spider-Man: Far From Home ratings promise that the second outing for this franchise is just as good.
Sony's track record for stand-alone Spider-Man films has been a bumpy one. The original 2002 Spider-Man, starring Tobey Maguire, came in at 90% fresh and Spider-Man 2 ranked 93% fresh. But by the time Sony reached 2014 with The Amazing Spider-Man 2, starring Andrew Garfield, it was landing in splat territory with 52%.
This is one of the reasons Sony was willing to cut a deal with Disney. The MCU has released 22 films in 11 years, and even the lowest-rated movies, like Thor: The Dark World, still score on the fresh side of the Tomatometer with 66%. Spider-Man: Homecoming came in at 92% fresh, just behind Maguire's Spider-Man 2 high. Far From Home also currently stands at 92% fresh as of July 1, tying it for second place.
Peter Travers at Rolling Stone sees no end in sight for the current live action franchise.
There's no endgame in sight for Spider-Man. As played by Brit wunderkind Tom Holland in a whoosh of boyish enthusiasm and lovesick angst, Spidey is flying higher than ever n a thrill ride that's bursting with laughs and real-deal surprises.
The Washington Post felt the film's two plotlines worked well in tandem.
Both plotlines - Peter accepting the adult responsibilities that Tony prepared him for and finally getting on MJ's vibe - unfold and intersect with chipper efficiency in Far From Home.
The Associated Press is short but sweet:
It goes from sunny pop to acid jazz, from Saved By the Bell to The Matrix.
Far From Home already opened in China over the weekend, bringing in a haul of $110 million, ahead of the US debut. With no previews Monday night, it will be the first superhero film to do a 12:01 a.m. ET cold launch in the US since The Dark Knight Rises in 2012. It's a bold move, but one that most expect to pay off. According to Deadline:
Many in the industry have already remarked what a great domestic launch date Tuesday is: Not only is it one of the four weekdays, but Wednesday is bound to be a travel day before July 4th Thursday. Even better, Far From Home will have 17 days of play (as well as all the Imax theaters) before Disney’s The Lion King pounces and decimates more July opening records.
Even with such fair winds, Sony is estimating a $125 million opening weekend, only slightly above Homecoming's $117 million in 2017. It remains to be seen if fireworks can happen both in and out of the box office this weekend.
Spider-Man: Far From Home premieres on Tuesday, July 2, 2019.
