Sony Pictures’ “Madame Web,” a standalone origin story in the studio’s array of “Spider-Man”-based Marvel characters, has been granted a theatrical release in mainland China.
The film will open in the country on March 1 — two weeks after the title’s Valentine’s Day bow in North America and multiple international territories, including the Chinese-language markets of Taiwan and Hong Kong.The release marks a welcome opportunity for Sony, which, along with the other traditional studios faced difficulty in securing theatrical runs in China over recent years.
Two years ago, the company’s smash hit “Spider-Man: No Way Home” became one of the five highest-grossing films of all time at the global box office, but it achieved that milestone without playing in the Chinese marketplace — once a reliable boost for Hollywood releases only a decade ago.The March date puts “Madame Web” outside the competitive crush of new local…