The Fort Worth Press - 'Spider-Man' swings back to top of the box office

The debut of the raunchy comedy "No Hard Feelings," as well as that of "Asteroid City," the latest offering from cult director Wes Anderson, failed to get past last weekend's top-earning films, although analysts said they performed well for their respective genres.

Sony's "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" took in $19.3 million over the weekend, according to Sunday estimates from Exhibitor Relations, bringing its domestic total to more than $317 million, with showings in international theatres pushing the cumulative global earnings to $560 million.

The film, a sequel to 2018's "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" and the latest spin on the Marvel Comics superhero, picks up the story of half-Black, half-Latino Miles Morales, voiced by Shameik Moore.

Pixar's animated immigrant fable "Elemental," which also held last week's No. 2 spot, earned $18.4 million, bringing its total to $65 million.

Warner Bro.'s "The Flash" took the third spot, earning $15.2 million a week after it opened at number one, bringing its box-office war chest to $87.6 million so far.

"No Hard Feelings," Sony's R-rated offering starring Jennifer Lawrence, debuted this weekend in fourth place.

The movie's $15.1 million haul is "a good opening for an original romantic/sex comedy, at above average levels for the genre," said analyst David A. Gross, writing for industry newsletter FranchiseRe.

"After a long decline between 2015 and 2022, romantic/sex comedies are growing again," Gross said, with "Joy Ride" and "Barbie" coming out next month.

Amid the spin-offs and sequels dominating the box office this weekend, Paramount's "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" brought in $11.6 million, for fifth place.

Next in line, following a limited release last week, was Focus Features' "Asteroid City," from off-beat director Anderson, for $9 million.

While that's a far cry from $120 million netted by "Spider-Man" its opening weekend, it represents "a very good opening for a specialty independent comedy," Gross said.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

"The Little Mermaid" ($8.6 million)

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" ($3.5 million)

"The Blackening" ($3 million)

"The Boogeyman" ($2.5 million)

P.McDonald--TFWP