Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman says the studio was not worried about Meta's legal concerns over The Social Reckoning. Letters from Facebook entered the picture, and the film kept moving anyway. Studios usually tiptoe around tech giants with deep pockets and sharp lawyers, so this calm stands out. Rothman had a very specific reason for staying relaxed, and it likely came with a billable hour or two.

Meta brought the paperwork, while Sony brought a legal department with total faith in its own homework, and Rothman was happy to explain exactly why.

Sony was not losing sleep over Meta, and Tom Rothman made that very clear. The studio knew about the potential lawsuits and the letters sent by Facebook, yet confidence never wavered.

"We're a very sophisticated company with a lot of very, very smart lawyers," Rothman told Variety.

He then added, "the film is well within the established rights of the law. So, no, we weren't worried about that."

The topic surfaced when Variety asked whether the potential lawsuits and the Facebook letters were weighed before the film received its green light. Rothman said they were, which means Sony studied the risk before approving the project. He also described the film as part of Hollywood's job to speak truth to power. Apparently, that mission statement works even better with a legal department attached.

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Rothman felt certain about the legal side, but his box office forecast was cloudier, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day proved it.

Tom Rothman told Variety at the Resident Evil Fantastic Fest premiere that he never believed a film could open above $300 million after COVID. He said he would never have had the hubris to predict it. Spider-Man: Brand New Day then opened to $360.09 million domestically, according to Box Office Mojo, which gave it the biggest opening weekend of 2026 so far. Opening day alone collected $169.84 million, and the first week reached $510.09 million.

The momentum did not fade after that opening burst. The film now sits at roughly $955 million in North America and $1.55 billion internationally, bringing the worldwide total to about $2.51 billion. It has already become the highest-grossing movie in North American history, surpassing Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which held the record at $936.66 million. Rothman doubted the ceiling, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day simply removed it, much like Sony's lawyers removed any reason to worry about The Social Reckoning.

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What are your thoughts on Tom Rothman's legal confidence and Spider-Man: Brand New Day's record climb? Let us know in the comments.