'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' brings in huge $927 million worldwide on opening weekend

LOS ANGELES — "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" earned $927 million in worldwide ticket sales during its opening weekend, including $355 million in the United States and Canada, making it the second-highest-grossing opening weekend for a film both domestically and globally.

The movie marks actor Tom Holland's fourth appearance as the web-slinging superhero. It follows Peter Parker as he fights crime in a world where people have forgotten that he is Spider-Man. Zendaya returns as MJ, Parker's love interest, as the film explores themes of loneliness, friendship and the search for human connection.

"'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' is fundamentally a movie about friendship, about the balm of connection in all our lives, and that is resonant to audiences of all ages and all around the world," Tom Rothman, chairman and chief executive of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Motion Picture Group, said.

Data from Rentrak showed that "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" posted the highest domestic opening weekend since the COVID-19 pandemic and the second-largest opening of all time in North America and worldwide, behind the 2019 superhero blockbuster "Avengers: Endgame."

"Avengers: Endgame" earned an inflation-adjusted $1.6 billion in global ticket sales during its opening weekend, including $467 million in the United States and Canada.

Internationally, "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" generated $572 million in opening weekend ticket sales, with China becoming the leading overseas market with $121 million, according to the studio.

Spider-Man remains one of Marvel Comics' most popular characters, maintaining strong appeal despite signs of declining audience interest in superhero films. The latest installment received positive reviews, earning a 90% critics' score and 98% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Rentrak, said the franchise is nearing $10 billion in unadjusted worldwide theatrical revenue, highlighting the character's lasting popularity.

Greg Durkin, founder and chief executive of entertainment research firm Enact Insight, said the film's focus on loneliness, isolation and overcoming personal struggles connected strongly with Gen Z audiences.

"There's a mental health crisis now with young people in our country — it's especially acute for young men right now. There’s a friendship crisis," Durkin said, adding that the pandemic created lasting effects that have yet to be fully understood or addressed.

The success of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" adds momentum to a strong summer box office season, which has also been supported by major releases such as "Toy Story 5" and "The Odyssey."

Dergarabedian said the combination of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" and "The Odyssey" created the biggest domestic weekend in movie theater history.

"There’s no better lead-in to this movie than 'The Odyssey,'" Dergarabedian said, noting that audiences watching "The Odyssey" were also exposed to trailers promoting "Spider-Man: Brand New Day."

Holland, Zendaya and Jon Bernthal appear in both films.

Despite the strong performance, overall domestic box office revenue remains below pre-pandemic levels. Year-to-date receipts are up 10% from last year but remain 16% below 2019 levels, the year before the pandemic, according to Rentrak.

-Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Sergio Non and Will Dunham/Reuters