The chairman of Sony’s movie studios, Tom Rothman, has had a good year at the theatrical box office – something he is a big proponent of. There have been a few surprise successes – such as Where the Crawdads Sing, which made $140 million, and The Woman King which has made over $90 million so far. Even Uncharted starring Tom Holland, which did not fare well critically, still made $400 million.
“I genuinely believe if we don’t keep taking chances on the Crawdads of the world or The Woman King, that is a threat to theatrical,” Rothman says in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “COVID was terrible. But at some point, the audience will move beyond it. I don’t believe that streaming is a death threat to movies. Lack of originality could be.”
Something that didn’t fare as well was Morbius, which is in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. It only made $167 million, which isn’t that much more than When the Crawdads Sing, and Sony were surely hoping for more from something that comes from existing IP.
Morbius being a damp squib hasn’t deterred Sony from expanding their roster of Spider-Man villain movies, though – with Kraven the Hunter, Madame Web, and El Muerto all to come. Donald Glover’s Hypno-Hustler is also in development, as well as an Olivia Wilde Spider-Woman movie.
But as for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man – fans are obviously wondering if and when we’ll be seeing him again. Currently, there are no Spider-Man movies in Marvel’s Phase 5 or 6 slates, but it’s not a straightforward situation, as things need to be agreed with Sony – who, of course, co-parent Spidey.
The Hollywood Reporter says, “There’s no official word regarding when the next live-action Spider-Man will hit theatres, but it’s a no-brainer.” Rothman adds, “You bet [there will be a Spider-Man 4]. When you can expect it, I don’t know. Serve no wine before it’s time.”
While we wait for more news, check out our guide to everything we know about Across the Spider-Verse.