The Sony revival is far from over despite the recent upturn in its fortunes, chief executive Sir Howard Stringer said yesterday. "My worst nightmare is complacency," he told a group of European journalists ahead of the premiere of Spider-Man 3, above, in Tokyo. "What I don't want people to do is think that this job is done, because it isn't. We're not even close."

The success of the first two Spider-Man films showed Sony was now regarded as a provider of entertainment as well as consumer electronics.

Sony is expected to register operating profit above ¥400bn (£1.7bn) in the current business year. Sales are expected to have risen 6% to ¥8.7 trillion thanks to sales of PlayStation 3 and LCD TVs in the US and Europe. Sony will announce its earning projections on May 16.