Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Nets a Major Opening Weekend at the Box Office

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse caught a crazy amount of moviegoers in its web this weekend. The animated sensation pulled down $35.4 million in its opening weekend, which is a superhuman feat for a December release. There’s always a crowded market that targets the holiday family crowd. We got a clue from the critics that this was going to be something extra special, but it wasn’t confirmed until now whether fans would agree.

The sheer visual feat that Into the Spider-Verse pulls off is marvelous. If you weren’t one of the masses that made a mad dash to see it this weekend, keep your eyes peeled when you do go. There are a ton of Spider-Man related Easter Eggs packed into every frame. Collider has an exhaustive list if you don’t want to miss a thing, but here are some of the highlights.

Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is the Spidey star of Spider-Verse, but Peter Parker also drops in. Chris Pine lends his voice to the adult Spider-Man, but there are several animated references to the Tobey Maguire live action days including that upside-down kiss between Peter and Mary Jane.

Times Square is one of the most famous places in the world, but in animation, the bright lights and advertisements can be literally anything the artists care to draw. Among the glowing posters is an homage to stage show Oh, Hello spoofed as Hi, Hello. Actor John Mulaney performs the show with Nick Kroll and Mulaney voices 1983 Spider-Man variant, Spider-Ham in the film. There’s also a very recognizable logo for what would be Planet Hollywood in our world, but to Miles it is Planet Inglewood.

Of course, no Marvel movie is complete without a cameo from the Spider-Man creator himself. Stan Lee sadly passed on last month, but his presence is greatly felt. For the best look, keep your eyes peeled during the first swinging scene of the movie. When Miles and Peter make a crash landing, Stan and his dog merely step over them on the sidewalk. Co-directors Bob Persichetti and Rodney Rothman confirm that Lee appears in virtually every crowd scene in the film. You are gone but never forgotten, Stan.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is in theaters now.

Featured Image: Peter Parker (Jake Johnson) and Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE.