“Spider-Man: No Way Home” now holds the title for the second-biggest opening weekend ever, behind only “Avengers: Endgame.”

       Weekend grosses for the third Tom Holland Spider-Man came in even higher than expected, netting out with $260 million from ticket sales in North America, Sony Pictures said Monday. It’s also the best opening weekend ever for Spider-Man films, Sony Pictures and the month of December.

       While the extra push Sunday put “No Way Home,” ahead of “Avengers: Infinity War," which opened to $257.7 million in April 2018, it’s still a ways behind “Avengers: Endgame," which debuted to $357.1 million in April 2019.

       The stellar opening was a much-needed win for the theatrical exhibition business, which has struggled during the pandemic. Until “Spider-Man” came along, no film in the pandemic era had opened over $100 million.