Chapter 488: The 100,000 Point Critical Hit

The second week of May 2002 was somewhat "quiet" in the North American movie market.

By "quiet," I don't mean that the box office took a nosedive. It's just that there were fewer releases than usual. Typically, the summer movie season is bustling, with blockbusters hitting theaters every week, keeping audiences on their toes.

This year was no different. All the major studios were gearing up to make a big splash in the summer lineup, but the second week of May was a rare exception.

Sandwiched between the releases of "Spider-Man" and "Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones," no studio wanted to risk going head-to-head with these juggernauts. As a result, this week became a Russian roulette for low-budget films trying to make a mark.

One such film was a low-budget comedy, "The New Guy," made for just $10 million. Another was a thriller, "Unfaithful," which had a larger budget of $50 million but wasn't exactly the type of film typically favored in the summer.

The distribution companies for both films knew the risks. They hoped to find a niche audience by avoiding direct competition with the blockbusters, trying to carve out a small piece of the pie.

But as it turned out—success was elusive.

This summer belonged to "Spider-Man."

"Unfaithful" earned $14 million in its opening weekend—not bad, but far from impressive, especially given its $50 million budget.

"The New Guy" made $9 million in its opening weekend. Though the numbers weren't eye-catching, considering its $10 million budget, it managed to scrape by.

However, neither film made much of a splash in the market, as all eyes in North America were focused on one movie: "Spider-Man."

In its second week, the buzz around the film continued to grow. The film's popularity was spreading beyond its initial fan base, with more and more people flocking to theaters. The movie's audience ratings only fueled the hype further.

Unlike media reviews, audience ratings reflect the general public's taste. At the time, IMDb was still in its early stages and Rotten Tomatoes didn't even exist yet, so audience ratings were the most authoritative reference point.

After watching a movie, viewers could fill out a simple rating card at the theater's exit, and the collected feedback would be used to give the film a final score.

The lowest score was an F, and the highest was an A+.

Generally speaking, if a commercial movie wanted to succeed at the box office, it needed a rating of B or higher. Most box office hits had a minimum rating of A-.

"Spider-Man" scored an A.

Although it didn't receive the highest grade, an A was more than enough for the general public.

As a result, waves of moviegoers continued to pour into theaters, creating a rare surge of enthusiasm.

In fact, the daily box office numbers from Monday to Thursday hinted at what was coming. Industry experts began predicting the weekend's box office numbers but were surprised when the anticipation didn't cool down as the weekend approached. This led to constant adjustments in their forecasts.

And yet—they still underestimated the market's enthusiasm.

In its second weekend, "Spider-Man" saw a box office drop of only 31.1%.

This would be impressive even for a film that debuted with a $40 million opening weekend, but to see it happen with "Spider-Man" was extraordinary. People thought "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" had set a high bar with its Thanksgiving boost, but it paled in comparison.

$96 million.

This was "Spider-Man's" second weekend box office, which not only set records in its opening weekend but also blew away the debut numbers of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in its second weekend.

Sweeping. Crushing. Dominating.

"Spider-Man's" second weekend box office was even more astonishing than its first.

Last week, people were gasping in amazement; this week, they were left speechless, stunned into silence.

Even Sony Columbia was taken aback.

Despite going all-in and pinning their hopes on "Spider-Man" breaking records, seeing the actual numbers felt like a 100,000-point critical hit.

Why?

Because in 2002, a North American box office of $100 million was the benchmark for success. It was a surefire way to land in the top 20 or even the top 10 of the year-end box office rankings.

In other words, a total box office of $100 million was the goal for countless films.

Yet now, "Spider-Man" was approaching this benchmark in just two weekends, leaving the whole of Hollywood in shock. Even seasoned industry veterans were nearly scared out of their wits.

So, is this really another "Titanic"?

In just two weeks, "Spider-Man" had already amassed a box office total of $280 million.

The impact was profound and far-reaching!

From the looks of it, "Spider-Man's" two-week cumulative box office had already secured a spot in the top 15 of North American box office history, temporarily sitting at 14th place, and this was just the beginning.

Three hundred million seemed like a given, four hundred million appeared achievable, and five hundred million or even six hundred million was the real goal. The stakes and scale were now on a completely different level.

This sweeping momentum utterly disrupted the existing perceptions of the North American market, drawing millions of eyes to the film.

The success of "Spider-Man" was undeniable, but to this degree? It was nothing short of epic.

And so, all eyes turned to the monster set to debut in the third week of May—

"Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones."

The tension of the competition was palpable, and it was mounting on both sides.

For "Star Wars: Episode II," the dominance of "Spider-Man" had nearly drained the entire market, creating unimaginable pressure. It was no longer a matter of strategy or marketing; they needed a miracle.

For "Spider-Man," riding high on record-breaking success, facing such a formidable opponent could lead to a catastrophic drop in its third-weekend box office. In that case, forget about $600 million—even $400 million might be in jeopardy.

Mutual restraint, mutual entanglement.

For 20th Century Fox and Sony Columbia, this was bad news. The pressure was mounting, and there was little they could control.

But for moviegoers and fans, this showdown was pure entertainment. No matter what, the audience was the ultimate winner.

This is the charm of the summer movie season—clashes between giants, with stakes as high as they come.

With the release of the second-weekend box office numbers, all eyes were on "Star Wars: Episode II." This was shaping up to be an unprecedented summer, a first for Hollywood as they were about to witness a "Godzilla vs. King Kong" level of spectacle.

And then, it happened—finally, it was here—

The premiere of "Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones," also at the Grand Theatre!