‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Webs $17.4 Million in Thursday Previews

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on Rotten Tomatoes. While presales were soft compared to other summer superhero films, the film’s very strong word of mouth will likely allow it to perform above expectations when it comes to walk-up ticket sales.

Barring a downright implausible collapse after Thursday night, “Across the Spider-Verse” is becoming a breakout sequel akin to “Scream 2,” “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me,” “Pitch Perfect 2” and “John Wick: Chapter 2.” This is a clear case of a surprisingly good predecessor which earned better-than-expected reviews and buzz, but which also was a solid but not spectacular hit that legged out in theaters and then found new fans in post-theatrical, with all of that goodwill paying off for the next installment. “Across the Spider-Verse” also comes as Disney has ceded its position as the dominant force at the animation box office, opening the door for Illumination and other animation studios to gain a bigger theatrical foothold.

While Sony Pictures Animation has had some hits like “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” and the “Hotel Transylvania” franchise, “Across the Spider-Verse” has the chance to set a new record for the studio, with its best box office performer being its 2011 adaptation of “The Smurfs” with $563 million worldwide.

The weekend’s other new release, 20th Century Studios’ “The Boogeyman,” earned $1.1 million in Thursday previews. The PG-13 horror flick — directed by Rob Savage — was initially slated to be a Hulu premiere before strong test scores led to Disney promoting it to a wide theatrical launch.