(CNN) — Sony Pictures’ and Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” soared to the second-biggest North American opening weekend ever with a $355 million haul at the box office, according to industry experts, just behind “Avengers: Endgame,” which opened to $357 million in 2019.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” — released almost five years after the last “Spider-Man” movie — earned $927 million worldwide, also the second-biggest opening ever, according to Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Rentrak. Its franchise’s predecessor, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” opened to $260 million in North America.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is a “perfect storm” for a major blockbuster, according to Chris Colombo, founder of box office analytics firm Brighter Path. “You have the intellectual property, you have the character, you have the (fear of missing out) — plus good reviews,” Colombo told CNN.
The spectacular opening extends a hot streak for movies in recent weeks.
Universal Pictures’ “The Odyssey,” which has drawn crowds to premium IMAX screenings, shattered opening weekend expectations with $124.5 million at the North American box office. The retelling of the centuries-old Greek epic raked in $51 million this weekend, bringing its worldwide earnings to $721 million.
The weekend’s top two movies helped power the highest-earning domestic weekend of all time, totaling roughly $430 million.
Also providing a boost this weekend was Disney’s “Toy Story 5,” which finished No. 3 at $6.3 million. The fourth-highest earner was Universal’s “Minions & Monsters” ($5.8 million), followed by Disney’s live-action “Moana” ($5.3 million) and a live capture of Broadway’s “Hadestown: The Musical” ($2.1 million).
“This (weekend) now sets up a tremendous month of August, and the likelihood of a $4 billion summer,” Dergarabedian told CNN in an email.
Last year’s overall box office fell short of the $4 billion mark between the first Friday of May and Labor Day, leaving 2023 as the only post-pandemic year to hit the milestone. Dergarabedian said a $10 billion overall box office is within reach for 2026.
The box office has earned $6.19 billion year-to-date, up almost 15% compared to 2025, according to Rentrak.
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