Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse spun its web across the world and the result is spectacular, foreshadowing a summer that will be one for the books.

In an instance of a film getting box office love commensurate to its critical and audience acclaim, the animated sequel set several records. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’s $208.6 million worldwide launch is Sony Pictures’ biggest all-time opening for an animated release.

And the visually stunning movie’s $120.5 million domestic bow marks the biggest debut of a summer tentpole this year, surpassing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s $118.4 million. Across the Spider-Verse’s North American figures are also way ahead of Into the Spider-Verse’s $35.3 million launch numbers in 2018.

The $120.5 million stats also represent the third highest bow of a Spider-Man film, following 2021’s No Way Home ($260.1 million) and 2007’s Spider-Man 3 ($151.1 million).

The original Into the Spider-Verse set such a high bar. But reviews show that the sequel’s filmmakers succeeded in surpassing Into the Spider-Verse’s feat, acclaim-wise.

The sequel, with a brilliant voice cast led again by Shameik Moore (Spider-Man and Miles Morales) and Hailee Steinfeld (Spider-Woman and Gwen Stacy), was directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson. Miller co-wrote the screenplay with Phil Lord and Dave Callaham.

The second part of the planned Spider-Verse trilogy also taps the voice talents of Oscar Isaac, Daniel Kaluuya, Issa Rae, Luna Lauren Velez, Andy Samberg, Jason Schwartzman, Jake Johnson, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry and Jack Quaid.

In other news, the web-slinging hero’s entrance made The Little Mermaid drop to the second spot. In its second week, Rob Marshall’s live-action remake with Halle Bailey in the title role grossed $40.6 million for a domestic cume of $186.2 million.

The Boogeyman claimed third place on its debut with $12.3 million. Rob Savage directed the horror mystery thriller based on Stephen King’s 1973 short story of the same title. Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina and Vivien Lyra Blair star.

On its fifth week, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 still has strong legs. The James Gunn-directed action adventure comedy, top-billed by Chris Pratt, took in $10.2 million and grabbed the fourth berth.

Vin Diesel’s Fast X secured the last spot in the magic five with $9 million for a tally of $128.2 million.

Comprising the rest of the top ten, were in order: The Super Mario Bros. Movie, $3.35 million (an impressive $566.2 million in nine weeks); Robert De Niro and Sebastian Maniscalco’s father-son comedy, About My Father, $1.96 million; The Machine, another comedy with Brett Kreischer and Mark Hamill, $1.77 million; Kandahar, Gerard Butler’s latest outing as a CIA agent, $750,000; and Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tobias Menzies‘ You Hurt My Feelings, $692,000.

Internationally, the amazing Spider-Man also ruled, slinging in $88.1 million. China, which has been cold to many recent American releases, topped the offshore market for the animated Spidey with $17.3 million. Mexico and the United Kingdom were also top territories for the sequel.

The Little Mermaid has chalked up $140.5 million offshore total so far and a global cumulative of $326.7 million.

As Across the Spider-Verse looks poised to surpass The Little Mermaid and become one of this year’s megahits, it’s worth bringing up that back in 1998, Sony bought Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise for a reported $7 million – quite a steal, considering the continued success of the web-slinging hero’s adventures, more so with the Spider-Verse iterations.