"Spider-Man: No Way Home" becomes first film to surpass US$1 billion worldwide during pandemic

LOS ANGELES: "Spider-Man: No Way Home" became the first film to surpass the US$1 billion milestones in global ticket sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, Xinhua news agency reported according to studio figures released by measurement firm Comscore on Sunday.

The superhero film, co-produced by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, took the top spot at the North American box office for a second-straight weekend with a three-day estimate of US$81.5 million, pushing its North American cume to US$467.33 million for a worldwide total of US$1.05 billion through Sunday.

It's now also the top-grossing film of 2021 worldwide, surpassing the Chinese war epic "The Battle at Lake Changjin," which has grossed over US$902 million dollars globally so far.

Based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man, the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the sequel to 2017's "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and "Spider-Man: Far From Home."

Directed by Jon Watts, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is the third Tom Holland-led Spider-Man film. The film also stars Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau and Marisa Tomei.

-- BERNAMA