Marketing
Original Spider-Man teaser poster, which was recalled from theaters following 9/11 (the World Trade Center is reflected in Spider-Man's eyes)After the September 11 attacks occurred in 2001, Sony recalled teaser posters which showed a close-up of Spider-Man's head with the World Trade Center towers being reflected in his eyes.[143][144][145] The film's original teaser trailer, released that same year, featured a mini-film plot involving a group of bank robbers escaping in a Eurocopter AS355 Twin Squirrel helicopter, which gets caught from behind and propelled backward into what at first appears to be a net, then is shown to be a gigantic spider web spun between the World Trade Center towers.[146] This trailer was attached to the screenings of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, Jurassic Park III, Planet of the Apes, Rush Hour 2, and American Pie 2. According to Sony, the trailer did not contain any actual footage from the film itself.[147] Both the trailer and poster were removed after the events of the attacks, but can be found online.[148] Additionally, the home video release of A Knight's Tale would also have the Spider-Man trailer taken out.[149][150] New teaser posters featuring Spider-Man and the Green Goblin were unveiled in November 2001.[151] A month later, a new trailer deemed acceptable by Sony debuted on television during Temptation Island and in theaters with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.[152] Raimi later stated that the scene was, in fact, originally in the film but removed due to the recency of the attacks.[153] Another Spider-Man trailer premiered online on March 27, 2002, and in theaters with the releases of Panic Room and The Rookie just two days later on March 29.[154]
To promote the release of the film, Sony partnered with CKE Restaurants to release kids meal toys at Hardee's and Carl's Jr. restaurants. Beginning in April 2002, the locations offered customers three different Spider-Man collector's cups and patrons could purchase a Spider-Man figure to attach to their car radio antenna. A month later in May, "Cool Combos for Kids" would feature one of four different toys highlighting Spider-Man or his nemesis, the Green Goblin.[155] KFC would then follow suit, releasing their own Spider-Man kids meal toys at their locations in the United Kingdom.[156] Other promotional partners included Dr Pepper, Hershey's, Kellogg's, and Reebok.[157]
Theatrical
In the U.S., it was rated "PG-13" for "stylized violence and action".[158] Before the film's British theatrical release in June 2002, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) gave the film a "12" certificate. Due to Spider-Man's popularity with younger children, this prompted much controversy. The BBFC defended its decision, arguing that the film could have been given a "15". Despite this, North Norfolk and Breckland District Councils, in East Anglia, changed it to a "PG", and Tameside council, Manchester, denoted it a "PG-12". In late August, the BBFC relaxed its policy to "12A", leading Sony to re-release the film.[159][160]
In March 2024, Sony announced that all of their live-action Spider-Man films would be re-released in theaters as part of Columbia Pictures' 100th anniversary celebration. Spider-Man was re-released on April 15, 2024.[161]
Home media
Spider-Man was released on DVD and VHS on November 1, 2002, in North America and Australia, and on November 25, 2002, in the UK.[162] It set a record for having the highest single-day DVD sales, surpassing Monsters, Inc. and selling over 7 million DVD copies on its first day of release.[163] The film would hold this record for a year until it was taken by Finding Nemo in 2003.[164] As of 2022, it has the single-day record for any live-action film.[165] In just a few days, the DVD release sold more than 11 million copies.[166] While the VHS release sold over 6.5 million copies, the DVD release went on to become one of the best-selling live-action DVD titles of all time with over 19.5 million copies being sold.[167][168] This two-disc DVD release comes in widescreen (1.85:1 aspect ratio) and fullscreen (specifically reframed 1.33:1 aspect ratio digitally mastered from the original source and specially reframed by the filmmakers themselves without gutting out portions of the frame using pan and scan) versions. Bonus features on the first disc include commentaries, character files, marketing champaign with music videos, TV spots and trailers, Weaving the Web Pop-Up Factoids, the Spider-Sense option that pops up an icon of Spider-Man while disabling subtitles and more. As for the second disc, the special features are an HBO special called The Making of Spider-Man, The Evolution of Spider-Man, outtakes, screen tests, an E! Network special called Spider-Mania and more. Both discs feature DVD-ROM features, such as a countdown to Spider-Man 2, record your own commentary and an Activision game.[169]
The film's American television rights (Fox, TBS/TNT) were sold for $60 million.[170] Related gross toy sales were $109 million.[170] Its American DVD revenue by July 2004 was $338.8 million.[170] Its American VHS revenue by July 2004 was $89.2 million.[170] As of 2006, the film has grossed a total revenue of $1.5 billion from box office and home video (sales and rentals), in addition a further $880 million from television (pay-per-view, broadcast TV and cable TV).[171]
In the United Kingdom, the film was watched by 700,000 viewers on subscription television channel Sky Movies 1 in 2004, making it the year's ninth most-watched film on subscription television.[172]
The film made its Blu-ray debut in 2007 as part of the Spider-Man Trilogy.[173] Just three years later, it was released as a separate Blu-ray on November 16, 2010.[174] This was followed by another release on July 5, 2011.[175] Spider-Man was also included in the Spider-Man Legacy Collection, which includes 5 Spider-Man films in a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray collection, which was released on October 17, 2017.[176]
Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy was released on Disney+ on April 21, 2023.[177]
