Spider-Man 2: According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sony Pictures' Spider-Man 2 spun a web around movie theaters Wednesday, debuting to a powerful opening day gross of $40.5 million.

The comic book adaptation not only beat the existing opening day record of $39.4 million set by the original Spider-Man, which opened on a Friday in 2002, but Spider-Man 2 also earned the title of biggest Wednesday opening of all time, beating last year's record-holder, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which grossed $34.5 million. Spider-Man 2 also became one of only three films to gross more than $40 million in a single day.

The $200 million movie's supercharged opening suggests the tale of Peter Parker's heroism and struggle has the power to earn more than $170 million during its first six days, which include the Fourth of July holiday. If that happens, it could beat the current six-day record holder, The Matrix Reloaded, whose six-day total reached $147 million last May.

Spider-Man 2 was released June 30th, 2004 and stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Alfred Molina, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, Donna Murphy, Daniel Gillies. The film is directed by Sam Raimi.