(Bloomberg) -- “Spider-Man: No Way Home” reclaimed the top spot in the U.S. and Canadian box office in its sixth week of release, a rare development that reflects the film’s popularity as well as the dearth of big pictures coming out this month.

  • The superhero film from Sony Group took in an estimated $14.1 million in domestic ticket sales over the weekend, according to Comscore Inc. “Scream,” the horror movie from ViacomCBS Inc.’s Paramount Pictures division, finished in second place with $12.4 million.
  • “Redeeming Love” and “The King’s Daughter,” two new films getting a wide release this weekend, garnered $3.7 million and $750,000, respectively, according to Comscore.

Key Insights

  • “Spider-Man,” the highest-grossing film of the pandemic, has been a big economic and psychological boost for cinemas that suffered through lockdowns and pandemic-prompted movie postponements. Even so, the theatrical industry may be hitting another sluggish stretch. No big releases are planned until Feb. 4, when “Moonfall,” starring Halle Berry, and “Jackass Forever” open. The most anticipated movie of the quarter -- “The Batman,” from Warner Bros. -- won’t reach theaters before March.
  • It’s not just a light slate of new movies that may dull the box office. Cinemas in the first months of the year typically benefit from the awards buzz of films they’re showing. Not many pictures in wide release right now figure to be Oscar contenders.
  • One of the films still playing theatrically that’s garnering awards consideration -- Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” which won best musical or comedy this month at the Golden Globes -- has struggled to draw older Americans to cinemas.
  • “Redeeming Love,” from Comcast Corp.’s Universal Pictures, is about a relationship during the California Gold Rush and stars Abigail Cowen and Tom Lewis.
  • “The King’s Daughter,” from independent distributor Gravitas Ventures, features Pierce Brosnan and William Hurt in a story about a monarch whose plan to achieve immortality is threatened by his daughter.

Get More

  • See the schedule for upcoming releases. See Boxoffice Pro’s long-range forecast.

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