LOS ANGELES -- "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" slung its webs back atop the box office ranks while "The Flash" saw a drop faster than the film's speedy character.
The Spidey animated sequel -- starring Shameik Moore as the teenage webslinger Miles Morales -- reclaimed the No. 1 spot in its fourth week in North American theaters, scoring US$19.3 million. The latest number helped the Sony film reach US$317.1 million domestically and an impressive US$560.3 million worldwide.
"For a film like this to crawl and spin a web back into the No. 1 spot is very rare," said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. "It's a testament to the quality of the movie. This is a very competitive and crowded summer movie marketplace. And yet `Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' has distinguished itself as one of the biggest movies this summer season."
"Spider-Verse" beat out "Elemental," which took second place for the second week in a row with an estimated US$18.5 million. The film held on to the spot after experiencing Pixar's worst three-day opening last week.
No other film had such a dramatic drop than "The Flash" with US$15.2 million for the big-budget offering. The second-week output for the DC and Warner Bros superhero film, starring Ezra Miller, fell off by 72% after opening with a subpar US$55 million.
So far, the numbers "The Flash" have accumulated haven't measured up for a movie with a US$200 million production budget. Some are crediting the film's struggles to Miller's off-screen behavior that has included arrests and misconduct. The actor has apologized and sought mental health treatment.
"Sometimes it's not the opening weekend that tells the whole story -- particularly with `Elemental," Dergarabedian said. "It's more about the challenges that can sometimes face a movie like `The Flash' that are multifaceted, and it's very difficult to overcome."
"The Flash" barely edged out "No Hard Feelings," starring Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman. The Sony R-rated comedy, which opened in fourth place with US$15.1 million, tells a story about a teen's parents who hired a woman (Lawrence) to date and boost his confidence.
With "Spider-Verse" and "No Hard Feelings," Dergarabedian said Sony should be pleased about the turnout for both films.
"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" came in fifth place with US$11.6 million in its third week with a total US$122.9 million. It placed ahead of Wes Anderson's "Asteroid City," which did better than expected with US$9 million.
In seventh, "The Little Mermaid" pulled in US$8.6 million to bring its total to more than US$270 million.
Dergarabedian said he expects a good draw for "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," which opens June 30.
"No matter what the reviews are. I know the reviews have been mixed. But the summer movie fan who wants to go to the movie theater, you can't sit this one out," he said. "It's really going to be the audience who will decide the ultimate success of this film."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," US$19.3 million.
2. "Elemental," US$18.4 million.
3. The Flash," US$15.2 million.
4. "No Hard Feelings," US$15.1 million.
5. "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," US$11.6 million.
6. "Asteroid City" US$9 million.
7. "The Little Mermaid," US$8.6 million.
8. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," US$3.5 million.
9. "The Blackening," US$3 million.
