Making Creator Headlines · Page 6
Spider-Man Delivers Sony a Blockbuster Quarter, No Spreadsheet Costume Required
· New York time
Sony Pictures Entertainment reported a sharp second-quarter profit increase, with operating income of $581 million for the three months ended September 30. Deadline attributed the result largely to the box-office success of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” The figure was up 527% from $93 million in the comparable period a year earlier. That is the kind of change a studio can put near the top of an earnings presentation without needing a special effect. A successful theatrical release can make a substantial difference to a quarter, and a familiar character gives the result an easily recognizable face. The hero gets the poster; the finance department gets a particularly satisfying comparison with last year. The same result also shows why individual releases matter so much to a film business. A strong quarter tied largely to one hit is not a promise that every future quarter will look the same. Timing and the performance of the release slate can move the numbers around. For creators and executives, the result is another demonstration of the commercial power of an established franchise. For the studio’s accountants, it is a rare moment when the friendly neighborhood hero has done something even more appealing than saving the day: made the year-over-year column look heroic.
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