“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” was No. 1 at the domestic box office for the sixth consecutive weekend, a rare feat that underscores the movie’s remarkable staying power as well as the lack of competition on cinema marquees.
“Brand New Day” earned $18 million over the traditional weekend and is estimated to collect $23 million through the Labor Day holiday on Monday. Peter Parker’s latest adventure is enjoying the longest stint at No. 1 since 2022’s “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which ranked in first place for seven straight weekends. With $923 million to date in North America, “Brand New Day” is primed to soon overtake 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($936 million, not adjusted for inflation) as the highest-grossing movie of all time at the domestic box office. Meanwhile, Sony’s fourth “Spider-Man” adaptation led by Tom Holland has generated $2.4 billion globally, ranking as the third-biggest release ever behind 2009’s “Avatar” ($2.9 billion) and “Avengers: Endgame” ($2.7 billion) and ahead of 2022’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” ($2.3 billion).
This Labor Day weekend closes out the best summer movie season since COVID upended the cinema industry in 2020. Domestic ticket sales between May and early September reached $4.7 billion, according to Rentrak. Those revenues weren’t just strong by post-pandemic standards. They register as the second-largest summer ever, not far behind the season’s high-water mark of $4.755 billion (not adjusted for inflation) set in 2013. Several blockbusters — including major studio offerings like “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” “The Odyssey,” “Toy Story 5,” “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” as well as indie sleeper hits like “Obsession” and “Backrooms” — were responsible for popcorn season’s outsized success. Those triumphs helped offset some big-budget bombs, including Disney’s live-action “Moana,” Warner Bros. and DC’s “Supergirl” and Amazon MGM’s “Masters of the Universe.”
“This summer could signal a meaningful turning point for movie theaters,” says Rentrak’s Paul Dergarabedian. “More than anything, it serves as a huge reminder of the singular nature of the moviegoing experience and how much fun people have going to theaters.”
Unfortunately, summer is ending with a whimper rather than a bang. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” prevailed over several underwhelming new holiday releases, including Paramount’s R-rated crime thriller “By Any Means,” Lionsgate’s anxiety-inducing sequel “Fall 2: Deadpoint” and A24’s action horror film “Onslaught.”
“September and the Labor Day holiday are traditionally sluggish at the box office,” says David A. Gross, who publishes the box office newsletter FranchiseRe. “We haven’t had a down weekend like this in a long time.”
“By Any Means” stumbled in fourth place with $7 million from 2,903 North American theaters over the traditional weekend and an estimated $9 million through Monday. Audiences seemed to like the R-rated movie more than critics, as evidenced by the “B+” grade on CinemaScore and 52% on Rotten Tomatoes. Directed by Elegance Bratton, “By Any Means” centers around the unlikely partnership between a young Black FBI agent (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and a notorious mafia hitman (Mark Wahlberg) as they investigate a wave of brutal killings targeting civil rights leaders. Hammerstone Studios financed “By Any Means” for roughly $30 million, and Paramount is distributing the movie for a fee.
“Fall 2: Deadpoint” crash-landed at No. 12 with just $2.3 million from 1,704 venues in its initial weekend of release and a projected $2.9 million through its first four days. Those ticket sales are roughly even with its predecessor, 2022’s survival thriller “Fall,” which opened to $2.5 million. That film managed to climb to $7.2 million domestically and $18 million globally by the end of its run, becoming a modest success against a mere $3 million budget. The sequel follows two friends who travel to Thailand and get trapped at 4,000 feet after a sudden rockslide.
“Onslaught” fared even worse, debuting in 13th place on domestic charts with $2 million from 1,918 theaters over the weekend and an estimated $2.3 million through Monday’s holiday. What’s concerning is critics and audiences alike rejected the film, which was saddled with a “C” grade on CinemaScore and 54% on Rotten Tomatoes. That doesn’t bode well for box office longevity. Directed by Adam Wingard (“Godzilla vs. Kong”), “Onslaught” stars Adria Arjona as an army sniper who struggles to protect her young daughter from an army of genetically engineered super soldiers.
Since the Labor Day newcomers failed to gain much traction, “The Odyssey” easily claimed the No. 2 spot in North America in its eighth weekend of release. The movie brought in $13 million between Friday and Sunday and is estimated to generate a remarkable $17 million through the four-day holiday frame. Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster has remained an epic box office force since mid-July, grossing $588 million in North America and $1.56 billion worldwide to date.
“Coyote vs. Acme” landed in third place with $11.3 million from 3,727 venues in its second weekend, a minuscule 27% decline from its debut. It’s projected to earn $14.5 million through Labor Day. With great reviews and positive audience scores, “Looney Tunes” spinoff has been a hit with $37 million domestically to date. It was originally set at Warner Bros. before the studio shelved the completed film as a $30 million tax write-off. That prompted outrage from the creative community, leading Warner Bros. to allow the filmmaking team to shop “Coyote vs. Acme” around town before selling it to indie distributor Ketchup Entertainment.
After a stellar summer, it’s up to fall releases — including “Practical Magic 2” with Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock, Tom Cruise’s comedy “Digger,” a “Resident Evil” reboot from “Weapons” director Zach Cregger and Colleen Hoover’s “Verity” adaptation led by Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson — to sustain the momentum.
Will the hits keep coming? With tentpoles like “Avengers: Doomsday,” “Dune: Part Three” and “Jumanji 3” slated around Christmastime, North American revenues are primed to surpass $10 billion for the first time since the pandemic. Now that’s a reason to break out the popcorn and Icees!