Movie

In a 'rare' instance, 'Across the Spider-Verse' returns to the top spot of the domestic chart as the latest Warner-DC superhero movie stumbles to No. 3 in its second weekend.

• Jun 26, 2023

AceShowbiz - "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is crawling back to the peak of North American box office. The Sony animated movie reclaims the No. 1 position on the chart with an estimated $19.3 million in its third weekend after being pushed to No. 2 last week.

Remaining solid since its release on June 2, the "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" sequel dropped just 28.5% in its third week. It has so far grossed $317.05 million domestically and $243.2 million overseas for a current global total of $560.25 million.

"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."

"Across the Spider-Verse" swaps places with "The Flash", which stumbles to No. 3. In its second weekend, the DC superhero movie is down 72% after a disappointing opening. It added an estimated $15.3 million, barely securing the third spot from Jennifer Lawrence's raunchy comedy "No Hard Feelings", which debuts at No. 4 with an estimated $15.1 million.

Meanwhile, "Elemental" trails close behind "Across the Spider-Verse" at the runner-up place with approximately $18.5 million. It also remains strong with just 37.6% drop from last week.

"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."

He was referring to "The Flash" star Ezra Miller's multiple legal issues that occurred last year before they agreed to seek treatment for "complex mental health issues" back in August 2022. The embattled actor, however, received support from Warner Bros.'s execs and resurfaced just in time for the film's premiere in Hollywood on June 12.

Back to this week's chart, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" descends 4-5 with approximately $11.6 million after three weeks in theaters.

Top 10 of North America Box Office (June 23-25, 2023):

1. "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" - $19.3 million
2. "Elemental" - $18.5 million
3. "The Flash" - $15.3 million
4. "No Hard Feelings" - $15.1 million
5. "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" - $11.6 million
6. "Asteroid City" - $9 million
7. "The Little Mermaid (2023)" - $8.7 million
8. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" - $3.5 million
9. "The Blackening" - $3 million
10. "The Boogeyman" - $2.5 million