‘Spider-Man’ Producer Amy Pascal Didn’t Know if First Movie in 2002 Would Be a Success: ‘I Was Terrified’

Amy Pascal will never forget the world premiere of the first “Spider-Man” movie in 2002.

She was the head of Sony at the time, and was so worried that the film wouldn’t succeed she “spent the entire time in the ladies’ room crying,” Pascal recalled at the “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” premiere in Los Angeles.

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“I sure did,” she continued. “I was terrified. “How do you know? You never know!”

But, she said, her fears disappeared on opening day: “It was one of the greatest days of my life.”

The film took in $100 million in its first three days. The first “Spider-Man,” starring Tobey Maguire Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, James Franco and Rosemary Harris and directed by Sam Raimi, went on to gross $825 million and spawned a decades-long franchise.

The most recent release is the animated “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” After less than two weeks in theaters, the film made $226 domestically and $390 million globally, surpassing the entire box office run of its predecessor, 2018’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” The movie sees the return of Shameik Moore as Miles Morales and Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy. A third animated installment, “Beyond the Spider-Verse,” is set for release in 2024.

Even though she’s no longer the studio boss, Pascal has remained a producer of the “Spider-Man” movies. “I am very grateful to be a part of this for a very long time,” she said.

As I previously reported, Pascal says there are a lot more Spidey projects in the works, including possible live-action Miles Morales movies and Spider-Woman films. “You’ll see all of it,” she said. “It’s all happening.”

Pascal added, “’Spider-Man’ movies always work when they’re movies about emotion. That’s why people go to see films.”

And she isn’t resting on her laurels anytime soon: “I’m not calm. If I ever get calm, shoot me.”

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