'Spider-Man: No Way Home' crosses $1 bn mark globally  

Hollywood movie ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ has become the first film to make $1 billion at the box office worldwide since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Taking 12 days to hit the milestone, the film starred Tom Holland as the third iteration of Peter Parker alongside Zendaya's MJ and Benedict Cumberbatch as the sorcerer Doctor Strange.

The film is also the third-fastest film to reach the billion-dollar milestone. 

The last film to garner $1 billion at the box office was Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which hit theatres in December 2019. 

No other Hollywood production has come near to reaching that box office milestone since the pandemic began.

Many countries began shutting down due to COVID-19 in the months immediately following the film’s release.

Over the weekend, global box office takings for the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film reached $1.05bn. 

Moreover, the film has not been released in China, which is currently the world's biggest cinema market.

The movie follows Holland’s Peter Parker navigating the world after his superhero identity is revealed. 

Parker attempts to change the course of history with help from Dr Strange (Cumberbatch), but the two hit a major snag when they accidentally open up the multiverse, allowing villains from alternate realities to come after Parker. 

The series is a collaboration between the Disney's Marvel Studios and Sony.