'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' (Spider-Man 4) is racing at the box office after surpassing 7 million viewers domestically 19 days after its release. Behind-the-scenes details hidden in the film have also emerged as a hot topic among audiences.
On the 17th, according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) movie ticket integrated computer network, 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' (director Destin Cretton, produced/distributed by Sony Pictures) drew 314,148 viewers the previous day, bringing its cumulative audience to 7,279,373. It surpassed 7 million viewers just 19 days after its release.
This is five days faster than the 7 million milestone set by the year's biggest hit, 'The King's Warden,' which reached 7 million on its 24th day, and it surpasses 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' (7.25 million). With the film holding the No. 2 box office spot and a high booking rate in its third week, there is speculation it could surpass the 7.55 million viewers recorded by the series' highest-grossing film, 'Spider-Man: No Way Home,' and reach 10 million viewers.
Meanwhile, among viewers who watched the film, interest in the hidden details and behind-the-scenes stories has been growing. Rather than just watching the film and stopping, audiences are intensifying repeat viewings by reflecting on unreleased scenes, various teasers and speculations one by one.
First, Naomi Watts, who played the voice of E.V., Spider-Man (played by Tom Holland)'s AI assistant in 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' adds a special touch because she previously shared scenes with Tom Holland in 'The Impossible,' which was also Holland's screen debut. Reuniting with Tom Holland after 14 years, Naomi Watts wrote on social media that she had been cast from 'your mother role to an AI role' and said she was honored and very proud to have been part of this amazing project, even in a very small role, offering congratulations to Tom Holland and others on the film's success.
Unreleased deleted scenes also drew attention. Scenes leaked from the set showing Peter Parker and MJ meeting in a cemetery and the trailer's Spider-Man spending time with children in a hospital ultimately did not appear in the final film. In addition, a battle with villains that paid homage to a cover of the original comics reportedly originally included a large-scale team fight with many more villains appearing at once, but that too was edited out. Billy Clements, who plays Ramrod, wrote on social media that scenes featuring actors far more famous than him were entirely cut, and director Destin Cretton expressed regret about editing the large-scale action sequences, saying it truly hurt to have to cut them.
Also, Claire Temple from the Netflix 'Defenders' universe (Night Nurse, played by Rosario Dawson) was expected to appear in a cameo but was completely edited out, much to fans' disappointment. A scene in which needles spring from Peter Parker's hand and he transforms into Man-Spider during a nightmare sequence was filmed but reportedly did not appear in the film due to reasons such as rating classification.
In particular, hidden connections to Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) works, including the 'Avengers' series, appear throughout 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' making it even more enjoyable to watch. In Peter Parker's bedroom, the envelope in which Iron Man (played by Robert Downey Jr.) returned the suit to Spider-Man in 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' appears, drawing attention.
Also, Bill Metzger (played by Tramel Tillman), who appears as a dark manipulator in the film and is the director general of damage control, was a character in the original Marvel comics who engaged in anti-mutant activities, and because he fled at the end of the movie, there is speculation he could reappear in the 'X-Men' series. In fact, Jean Grey (played by Sadie Sink), who was tortured by him, has been officially cast in the 'X-Men' reboot film set to open in 2028, prompting opinions that Bill Metzger's disappearance might leave room for him to appear as a villain in the 'Mutant Saga.'
There was also speculation that Ned Leeds (played by Jacob Batalon) being addicted to the energy drink 'Sharkfire' hints that Ned could become Hobgoblin later, and there was excitement about the possibility that Cindy, a student who asked a question about Thanos in Bruce Banner's (played by Mark Ruffalo) class, was played by Korean American actress Shannon Young Cho, raising hopes she could later appear as the Korean American hero Cindy Moon (Silk).
The post-credits scene at the end of the film also contained clues about a new 'Avengers' series. The post-credits scene featured a Spidey tracker created by Ned Leeds, and Spider-Man's signal left Earth and headed into space. This appears to hint at links with 'Avengers: Doomsday,' scheduled to open on the 12th, and its sequel 'Avengers: Secret Wars.' It signaled that Spider-Man had moved into multiverse space, prompting various speculations about whether the current Peter Parker will go into space himself or whether other Spider-Men such as Tobey Maguire will appear.
Meanwhile, 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' reached $2 billion in box office revenue on the 16th, 19 days after its release. According to Box Office Mojo, 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' currently has global earnings of $2,021,831,670 (about 2.8598 trillion won), marking the highest figure among this year's releases. This is the third-highest record among MCU films and the highest-grossing figure for the live-action Spider-Man film series.
[Photo] Sony Pictures, SNS
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