Spider-Man: Brand New Day Nears Domestic Record as Labor Day Weekend Fails to Spark New Hits

Key points

• Spider-Man: Brand New Day earned roughly $22 million over the four-day Labor Day frame, extending its domestic total to approximately $923 million.
• The film is expected to soon overtake Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($936 million) as the all-time domestic box office leader.
• Globally, the movie has generated $2.4 billion, ranking third behind Avatar and Avengers: Endgame.
• Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey secured No. 2 with $16.4 million, reaching $588 million domestically.
• Paramount’s By Any Means debuted in fourth place with $7 million, while A24’s Onslaught opened to $2 million.
• The 2026 summer season is projected to reach $4.76 billion, potentially setting a new all-time record.

Background

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has dominated the domestic box office since its release, previously holding the No. 1 spot for five consecutive weeks. In late August, it was noted as the fastest film to cross the $900 million domestic milestone. The current weekend marks the end of the traditional summer season, which analysts describe as the second-best in history behind 2013.

How outlets are covering it

Variety and The Hollywood Reporter emphasize the lack of competition, noting that new releases failed to challenge Spider-Man’s dominance. Deadline highlights the broader industry impact, stating that the Labor Day weekend pushes the total summer domestic revenue to a potential $4.76 billion record. While Variety cites Rentrak data for the $4.7 billion summer total, Deadline provides a more precise projection of $4.76 billion. All outlets agree that the new entries, particularly Onslaught and Fall 2: Deadpoint, performed poorly, with Variety noting a 'whimper' rather than a 'bang' for the season's end.

Why it matters

The sustained performance of Spider-Man: Brand New Day indicates strong audience retention and the potential for a new domestic box office benchmark. The weak performance of new releases suggests that the theatrical market may be entering a traditional fall slump, though the overall summer season remains historically strong. The upcoming fall and holiday releases, including Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three, are expected to sustain momentum toward a $10 billion annual total.

What to watch

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is expected to officially surpass Star Wars: The Force Awakens in the coming days. The industry will monitor whether the 2026 summer season finalizes at $4.76 billion, surpassing the 2013 record. Upcoming releases include Practical Magic 2, Tom Cruise’s Digger, and a Resident Evil reboot.