"Spider-Man: No Way Home", the third highest grossing premiere in history

The highest grossing superhero movies in history 0:54

(CNN) -

Theaters needed a hero, and Spider-Man arrived just in time.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

, the latest Marvel family film, scored a record opening weekend at the US box office by grossing $ 253 million, according to its study, Sony.

It is the third highest opening weekend in history at the box office and also the highest for a month of December.

The film surpassed its original estimates of $ 123 million.

Only "Avengers: Endgame" of 2019 and "Avengers: Infinity War" of 2018 were released with higher numbers.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

, the highest grossing of the pandemic and of 2021

In terms of recent gross, it only took one day for the film to become the highest-grossing release of any movie during the pandemic.

In addition,

 only needed one weekend to become the highest grossing movie of 2021.

"Movie theaters have been looking for a hero and Spider-Man swung around and saved the day," Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore's senior media analyst, told CNN Business.

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Dergarabedian called the premiere "amazing" and said it "gives an industry hard hit by the effects of the pandemic a spiritual and box office boost that could last into the new year."

"As arguably the biggest weekend in box office history, the performance implications of

 cannot be overstated in terms of its ability to change a narrative," he added.

"It reaffirms the place of cinema as one of the most viable, relevant and beloved entertainment institutions."

What does Spider-Man like to do the most?

2:03

Weekend superior to other blockbusters

The film - starring Tom Holland and Zendaya as Peter Parker and MJ as they battle villains from the Marvel multiverse - scored a better opening weekend than some of the most successful blockbusters of all time.

That includes

,

 and

.

Although other box office records have fallen in the past, this weekend for

 is particularly impressive.

Movie theaters desperately needed good news as the rise in COVID-19 cases threatens to keep would-be viewers at home and streaming became a more dominant way for viewers to watch great movies from the comfort of their home. sofa.

• Minute by minute: the latest on the covid-19 pandemic

Spider-Man: No Way Home

, which is currently exclusive to theaters, achieved a record gross even as the omicron variant has caused the cancellation of Broadway shows in New York City and forced "Saturday Night Live "to withdraw your audience live.

Spider-man