‘Spider-Man’ does victory lap over ‘Crawl,’ ‘Stuber’

LOS ANGELES >> “Spider-Man: Far From Home” is celebrating another weekend at No. 1, but non-franchise fare continues to struggle at the box office. Fresh studio-released counterprograming such as the horror movie “Crawl” and the action-comedy “Stuber” barely made a dent in the web-slinger’s earnings, although there is a glimmer of hope in the independent world.

The “Spider-Man” sequel added $45.3 million in its second weekend, down only 51% according to studio estimates Sunday, bringing its domestic total to $274.5 million. Globally, Sony Pictures’ “Far From Home” has already grossed $847 million.

Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” landed in second place with $20.7 million in its fourth weekend in theaters. It’s now earned $346.4 million from North American theaters.

But while the well-reviewed franchises are thriving, original newcomers are facing an uphill battle in widerelease.

“Crawl,” a thriller from Paramount Pictures, debuted in third with an estimated $12 million against a reported $13.5 million budget. Directed by Alexandre Aja, “Crawl” stars Barry Pepper and Kaya Scodelario as a father and daughter trapped in their home with a bunch of angry alligators during a hurricane. The R-rated pic has been was not screened for critics in advance, which usually signals a dud, but it has been surprisingly well-received by critics since opening. It’s currently 88% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Uber comedy “Stuber” got off to a bumpier start with an estimated $8 million from over 3,000 North American locations. The R-rated Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista film cost a reported $16 million to produce and has not inspired the best reviews (it’s resting at a rotten 46. It’s the latest Fox film to be released by Disney.

“People always complain about the lack of original offerings from the studios especially during the summer but this summer in particular it seems like audiences are turning their backs on