Of all the studios in summer 2014s battle of the superheroes, Sony Pictures, which backs Spider-Man 2, arguably has the most at stake. Chairman Michael Lynton and co-chair Amy Pascal need the latest installment of their web-slinging franchise to deliver outsized grosses to offset the studios substantial investment, and reverse a recent string of domestic duds that include RoboCop and The Monuments Men.
Aside from the necessary financial boost, Sony is desperate to lift morale at the studio, which has been reeling from an onslaught of layoffs and other cost-saving moves that have rattled nerves in Culver City and beyond.
Just how big does Spider-Man 2, directed by Marc Webb and starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, need to be? Pascal, who declined to be interviewed, has set a goal of $1 billion worldwide, say sources.