"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" just leapfrogged another all-time giant, closing out its fifth weekend as the fourth-highest-grossing film in box office history and setting its sights on "Avatar: The Way of Water" for the No. 3 spot. Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" got bumped to third place domestically for the first time in weeks, but overseas it's still breaking new ground.
Spider-Man Extends Its Reign
"Brand New Day" topped North American theaters for a fifth straight weekend, earning $22.2 million and dropping just 43-44% from the previous week, a remarkably gentle decline for a film five weeks into release. Its domestic total now stands at $891.5 million, putting it within striking distance of becoming the first movie ever to cross $1 billion domestically, according to Variety. Globally, the film has surged past $2.33 billion, officially making it the fourth-highest-grossing release of all time and putting "Avatar: The Way of Water's" $2.32 billion in its rearview mirror.
Earlier in the week, Deadline reported the film had already surpassed "Avengers: Endgame" to become the second-highest-grossing movie ever at the domestic box office, a milestone that underscores just how historic this run has been. Media Play News notes the film is now pulling in roughly $44 million per weekend overseas even five weeks out, playing across 29,000 screens in 67 markets.
Coyote vs. Acme Provides a Bright Spot at No. 2
The weekend's other headline came from an unlikely source: "Coyote vs. Acme," the Looney Tunes feature Warner Bros. infamously shelved in 2023 before Ketchup Entertainment rescued it for theatrical release, debuted to a solid $15.4-15.5 million, landing at No. 2. It's a feel-good underdog story for a film once written off as a tax write-off. Ridley Scott's survival drama "The Dog Stars," by contrast, bombed badly, opening to just $8 million and landing in fifth place.
The Odyssey Slides to Third, But Still Dominating Overseas
Nolan's "The Odyssey" slipped to third place domestically with $14.3 million in its seventh weekend, pushing its US total to roughly $563.8-564 million. The film remains a global powerhouse, though, adding another $48.6 million internationally to bring its worldwide total to approximately $1.55 billion. Notably, the Korea Times reports "The Odyssey" has overtaken "Spider-Man" as Korea's top-grossing foreign film of 2026, holding the daily box office crown there for 25 consecutive days since its August 5 debut.
The Bigger Picture
Seven-plus weeks in, the "Brand New Day" and "Odyssey" pairing continues to defy typical blockbuster decay curves, with combined worldwide grosses now approaching $3.9 billion between the two films. As Spider-Man closes in on the unprecedented $1 billion domestic mark and Nolan's epic keeps setting records overseas, this late-August stretch has cemented 2026 as arguably the strongest theatrical year in over a decade, one where audacious swings, whether superhero spectacle or literary epic, are still filling seats.
Discussion