Godzilla gave it his best, along with Shang-Chi, James Bond, Venom and the “Fast and Furious” crew. But jump-starting the box office after pandemic shutdowns — re-commandeering the culture — has taken much longer than Hollywood envisioned.
It finally happened Thursday, when “Spider-Man: No Way Home” swung exclusively into theaters.
“No Way Home” collected $50 million from Thursday “preview” screenings that started at 3 p.m., according to Sony Pictures Entertainment, which financed and produced the movie in partnership with Disney-owned Marvel Studios. It was the third-highest preview result on the Hollywood history books, behind “Avengers: Endgame” ($60 million) and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($57 million).
For the weekend in North America, “No Way Home,” which received sensational reviews, could surpass $150 million in ticket sales. No movie has…
