World
record for opening-weekend box office
[May 8] AUSTRALIA / Action film Spider-Man 3
A
woman in Hong Kong walks past a poster promoting the new Spider-Man
movie on its record-breaking, worldwide opening weekend. Photo:
AP
Worldwide Chairman and Chief Executive
of Sony Pictures Michael Lynton said the studio was thrilled and
surprised by the figures. "It was very unexpected how well it did,"
he said. "We thought it would perform at the level of the first
or second film, but it has well outperformed both of those."
A Sony representative claims the
film cost $270 million. One movie source is adamant the actual total
was higher, with production costs alone reaching $350 million, while
New York location shoots cost upwards of $1 million a day.
Radar magazine reported the final bill for “Spider-Man
3,” which stars Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire, was $500 million.
It isn’t unusual for Hollywood blockbusters
to cost mega-bucks. “Spider-Man 2? reportedly cost $210 million,
“King Kong” $207 million, and “Titanic” $247 million.