Spider-Man: Brand New Day Breaks Avengers: Endgame’s Domestic Opening Record

Los Angeles: Spider-Man: Brand New Day has claimed the biggest domestic opening weekend in box-office history, overtaking Avengers: Endgame after its final North American earnings were revised upward.

Sony Pictures’ latest Marvel release collected $360 million from 4,487 theatres across North America, exceeding the $355 million estimate released on Sunday. The final figure pushed the film past Avengers: Endgame, which had held the record since its $357.1 million domestic debut in April 2019.

While Endgame has lost its domestic opening crown, it continues to hold the record for the biggest worldwide opening weekend, having earned $1.2 billion globally during its debut.

The record-breaking performance marks a major victory for Sony, which had initially projected a much lower domestic opening of about $195 million, according to reports. The studio had expected the film to earn approximately $465 million worldwide, a result that would still have placed it among the 10 biggest global debuts. Instead, Brand New Day significantly exceeded expectations and delivered Sony’s largest opening weekend to date.

The film, produced by Marvel Studios and Amy Pascal, was made on a reported budget of $225 million. It also set new benchmarks for the biggest Thursday preview collection and the highest domestic opening-day total.

Audience reception has been overwhelmingly positive. The superhero film received an A CinemaScore and earned a 98% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while critics gave it a 90% score. The opening-weekend crowd was largely young and male, with viewers aged 18 to 24 accounting for 36% of the audience and men making up 61%.

The film’s massive debut has also prompted Imax to revise its screening plans. The premium-format company announced that it would share screens between Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey. The success of the new Spider-Man film also gives Marvel Studios renewed momentum ahead of the release of Avengers: Doomsday in December, although that film is not expected to receive an Imax release at launch.

Directed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton, Brand New Day stars Tom Holland as Peter Parker AKA Spiderman alongside Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal and Mark Ruffalo. The story follows Peter as he struggles with isolation after losing the people closest to him, before a hidden threat begins pursuing him.

Holland last played the superhero in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which opened to $260.1 million in North America and $587.2 million worldwide in December 2021. The film ultimately earned $1.9 billion globally and became the eighth-highest-grossing movie of all time.

The broader North American box office also benefited from the film’s record-setting debut. The combined weekend revenue was estimated at $430 million, surpassing the $402.1 million generated during Avengers: Endgame’s opening weekend. The strong performance has helped push the domestic box office 15.2% ahead of its total at the same point last year.