Skip to main content

‘Spider-Man 2’ ropes in $92 million opening

By WTOP Staff

JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Spider-Man can still sling it at the box office.

“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” debuted with $92 million in North American theaters over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. It was a solid opening for Sony’s Columbia Pictures, which has released five movies about Marvel’s web-slinging superhero in the last 14 years.

The release of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” essentially kicks off Hollywood’s summer season and its annual parade of sequels and spectacle. Marvel movies have regularly commenced summer moviegoing in recent years, and the “Spider-Man 2” opening begins the season with a business-as-usual blockbuster performance.

Last week’s No. 1 film, the female revenge comedy “The Other Woman,” starring Cameron Diaz, slid to a distant second with $14 million in its second weekend.

The rebooted “Spider-Man” franchise starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone isn’t performing quite as strongly as Sam Raimi’s trilogy with Tobey Maguire. On opening weekends, the Raimi films grossed, in order: $114.1 million, $88.2 million and $151.1 million.

The “The Amazing Spider-Man,” also directed by Marc Webb, opened on a Tuesday in 2012, making $62 million on its debut weekend and $137 million over its first six days.

The new sequel, which began rolling out overseas two weeks ago, is also doing huge international business. It has already grossed $161 million abroad, and it added another $116 million over the weekend.

That included $10.4 million from China, where it opened Sunday on a record 11,002 screens. And it set a record for Hollywood titles in India with a $6.5 million debut.

“Everywhere we opened just popped,” said Rory Bruer, head of domestic distribution for Sony.

Domestically, families made up 33 percent of the audience of the PG-13 “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” a high percentage for a superhero film.

“It did seem to have a very strong component to the film, which we felt was an opportunity,” Bruer said. “It also lends itself to a picture that will be around the market for a while, too.”

But as Hollywood’s summer rolls on, the competition gets stiffer. In two weeks, Warner Bros. opens the highly anticipated monster movie “Godzilla.”

Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak, said that shouldn’t pose problems for the Marvel juggernaut.

“In the summer, two weeks is a lot of time between blockbusters,” Dergarabedian said. “You don’t see this kind of consistency in a particular genre that often.”

“Spider-Man” follows Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” released by Disney, by just a month. (The “Captain America” sequel is still in the top 5, with $7.8 million in its fifth week.)

The marketplace made way for “Spider-Man” over the weekend with no other new wide releases. Sony’s “Heaven Is for Real” continued to appeal to faith-based audiences, hauling in $8.7 million in its third week.

___

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.

1. “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” $92 million ($116 million international).

2. “The Other Woman,” $14 million ($19.5 million international).

3. “Heaven Is for Real,” $8.7 million.

4. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” $7.8 million ($10 million international).

5. “Rio 2,” $7.6 million ($24.5 million international).

6. “Brick Mansions,” $3.5 million ($3 million international).

7. “Divergent,” $2.2 million ($9.8 million international).

8. “The Quiet Ones,” $2 million.

9. “God’s Not Dead,” $1.8 million.

10. “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” $1.7 million ($8.6 million international).

___

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1. “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” $116 million.

2. “Rio 2,” $24.5 million.

3. “The Other Woman,” $19.5 million.

4. “My Old Classmate,” $19 million.

5. “The Great Hypnotist,” $14 million.

6. “Frozen,” $11.1 million.

7. “Qu’est ce qu’on a fait au Bon Dieu?!,” $11 million.

8. “The Fatale Encounter,” $10.5 million.

9. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” $10 million.

10. “Divergent,” $9.8 million.

___

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote