Spidey bests Bollywood in week 1

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Spiderman 3, in cinemas a week after TaRaRumPum, has grossed over Rs 19 crore in the first three days of its release and is expected to close the week with Rs 27 crore from its various language releases (Hindi, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Telugu and English).

Spiderman 3 is co-distributed by Sony Pictures and Percept Picture Company. Shailendra Singh, managing director of Percept Pictures, said the company's decision to dub the movie in various languages was bearing fruit. "We expect the movie to be the biggest grosser for 2007-08," he added. 
 

FIRST WEEK
Collections of recent blockbusters                                (In Rs crore)
Krrish	19.1
Dhoom2	17.9
Kank**	15.2
Fanaa	14.1
Rang De Basanti	11.6
Munnabhai-2	11.5
Spiderman- 3	27*
*expected   **Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna

More than 45 per cent of Spiderman 3's prints are in Hindi alone. Overall, 588 prints were distributed, a first for an English movie in India.

Exhibitors confirm that Spiderman 3 has stolen the thunder from Yash Chopra's first blockbuster of the year.

"In the first three days of release, Inox properties across the country earned Rs 93 lakh from TaRaRumPum, while Spiderman 3 has earned over Rs 1.2 crore," said Saurabh Varma, vice-president, programming and distribution, Inox Leisure.

He added that Spiderman 3 had run to full houses even in non-Hindi speaking markets.

For PVR Properties, first-week box-office collections from Spiderman 3 is expected to cross over Rs 2.5 crore against the Rs 2 crore that TaRaRumPum earned in its first week.

Film analyst Komal Nahata says overall, TaRaRumPum, which was released on April 27, earned multiplexes around Rs 15 crore worth net business in the first week.

Our reporter adds: Lachlan Murdoch, the estranged son of Rupert Murdoch, is in advanced negotiations for a minority equity stake in Percept Picture Company. Murdoch is in Mumbai for negotiations.