“So I guess movies aren’t dead after all?”
That’s the understated reaction from Tom Rothman, chairman of Sony Pictures, after “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” obliterated box office expectations. The comic book adventure, starring Tom Holland as Marvel’s web-slinging hero, ignited to $360 million domestically and a mind-blowing $932 million globally, the biggest domestic and second-largest global debut in history. And the latest Spidey entry, with help from Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” powered the largest collective weekend of all time. In other words, movies are back in the center of culture. Hallelujah!
“What happened is miraculous,” says Rothman, who plans to toast the film’s thunderous start with chocolate ice cream. “‘Spider-Man’ is uniting people across cultures and ages. People can piss on theatrical all they want, but that’s one thing that only movies — and movie theaters — can do.”
Sure, there’s been plenty of doom and gloom about the health of the theatrical business in the wake of two destructive forces: COVID and the 2023 labor strikes. But this summer is poised to be the best since the pandemic, and all kinds of hits — from “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and “Toy Story 5” to “Obsession” and “Backrooms” — have restored Hollywood’s confidence that people actually, really, truly love the big screen.
Before rewarding himself with a frozen treat, Rothman spoke to Variety about Holland’s future as Spider-Man, Sony’s ambitions for other Marvel characters and the “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” sequel that got away.
Tom Holland says there’s a succession plan in place for Peter Parker. But you’re not really going to let him go after a debut like this, right?
I love these questions. It’s like when a coach wins the Super Bowl and he goes to the press conference and they say to him, “Are you going to win it next year?” The honest truth is we don’t know at this point. This has been the focus of our studio for almost two years. I can tell you this: I certainly, certainly hope. I heard Tom say at some point that he wanted to continue, and we would love it if he did.
OK, so nothing’s in place, but there is a world in which there will be another “Spider-Man” sequel with Tom Holland?
Yes.
There’s clearly no such thing as “Spider-Man” fatigue, but what’s going on with other comic book movies? It seems like there’s no middle ground: They’re either massive successes or major bombs.
Superhero movies have to feel fresh. The glut of all those movies has made it even more important that they separate themselves in terms of quality. If you’re just taking the obligatory steps, the audience is less excited. You have to work against predictability. How do you make movies not feel repetitive? “Brand New Day” is emotionally led, so it feels different.
I was curious about the status of Sony’s Marvel characters because —
You and everybody else.
The “Venom” trilogy was huge, but other spinoffs like “Kraven the Hunter” and “Madame Web” were misfires. Why didn’t those work?
Ultimately, the audience wasn’t satisfied enough with them. Whether that’s a fair assessment of those movies, who knows. That’s howling into the wind. The audience is the boss, and they didn’t respond. It’s as simple as that.
Are there plans to keep developing Sony’s universe of Marvel characters?
Right now, we don’t know. We never looked at it as the “Sony-Marvel Universe.” We looked at if there were worthwhile movies to make with other characters. At the moment, there are none in active development.
Does this summer give you confidence about your big theatrical bet on the four-part “Beatles” movies?
Yes. The box office is roaring, and it makes me feel strongly that audiences want diverse, new programming. COVID was bad for the movie business, but the strikes were worse. Now there’s product, and people are remembering what fun it is. But things have to feel special. Everybody wants to make everything into an event, but to make it an event, it has to feel special. And everything about the Beatles is special. It’s a big bet, but if you’re just doing the same old, same old, audiences will stay home. Intentionality makes the audience feel that it’s not just another Friday night.
Why is Netflix releasing “Cliff Booth,” the sequel to Sony’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”?
Because David Fincher is exclusive to Netflix. We were going to make the movie when Quentin [Tarantino] was directing it, but he decided that he didn’t want to do it and changed course. The only other person that he was comfortable directing his script was David Fincher, and David Fincher was exclusive to Netflix, so we were not going to stand in anybody’s way.
Are you disappointed that Sony doesn’t have the sequel?
Yes.
Sony is reviving the Cinerama Dome, which has been shuttered since 2020. What does the reopening of the beloved venue mean for Hollywood?
It’s great, and we’re really proud. We are fully committed to theatrical, and this is the Eiffel Tower of that business. It’s sitting there in a derelict state. It was not a good message in the world and a loss of opportunity.
How does the company plan to preserve the experience of watching a movie in the Dome?
Plans are immaculate. The idea is to restore it to its full former glory, although with every state-of-the-art update possible … projection, sound. There will be no food service. It’s going to be gorgeous.
