Spider-Man: Homecoming is opening strong with a $50.5 million showing at the domestic box office on Thursday and Friday. Director Jon Watts and 21-year-old star Tom Holland have collaborated to create one of the best-reviewed Marvel Cinematic Universe installments yet, and perhaps the funniest of all the Spider-Man movies. The glowing early reactions to the movie and Spider-Man's massive built-in fanbase set up the reboot for a huge opening weekend in theaters.

As the only new wide release of the weekend, Homecoming's opening appears to be well-timed. Facing competition only from holdovers like Despicable Me 3, Transformers: The Last Knight, and Wonder Woman, the movie generated by far the most buzz of any release. The Friday numbers are in, and they show that the majority of younger viewers are choosing Spider-Man over the rest.

As reported by THR on Saturday, Homecoming soared to a tremendous $50.5 million domestic total at 4,341 locations on Friday, including $15.4 million in Thursday openings alone. The movie's bet on a younger Peter Parker and coming-of-age themes appears to be paying off, as about half of ticket buyers were aged 25 or younger. Male moviegoers made up approx. 61 percent of Homecoming's Friday audience.

An image of Spider-Man climbing a building in Spider-Man: Homecoming

Homecoming is right on track to hit previous estimates of about $120-125 million domestically, making it a sure bet to surge past its $175 million budget. It would mark the third-biggest domestic opening of the year, passing Wonder Woman ($103.3 million) and finishing behind Beauty and the Beast ($174.8 million) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ($146.5 million). The numbers from overseas, where Homecoming is opening in about 60 percent of the total market, are expected on Sunday.

Earning an A CinemaScore from viewers and a "certified fresh" 94 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, Homecoming is off to an extraordinary start as the latest all-around success for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Its opening will surpass each of the two Amazing Spider-Man movies, even if adjusted for inflation. It made more on Thursday and Friday alone than the projected No. 2 movie, Despicable Me 3, is expected to make all weekend ($37 million). It's clear where most young North American moviegoers' money is going this weekend.

Homecoming is no doubt a big hit with critics and fans alike in its first days in theaters, but it remains to be seen how long the initial burst of success will last. There remains uncertainty whether this fresh take on Spider-Man will sustain its box office run the way that mega-hits like Beauty and the Beast and Wonder Woman were able to do. But the Friday numbers are certainly impressive and indicate that most fans are caught up in the Spider-Man: Homecoming hype.

Next: Spider-Man: Homecoming Pulls A Perfect Villain Twist

Source: THR

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