‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ makes it 6 weeks in a row at No. 1 as Hollywood wraps a banner summer

NEW YORK (AP) — “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” remained the No. 1 movie in theaters over the weekend, becoming just the second film this decade to top the box office for six straight weeks.

Since the end of July, the Sony superhero movie has ruled over cinemas with rare dominance. The last release to enjoy such a long stretch leading the box office was 2022’s “Avatar: The Way of Water.” “Brand New Day,” the fourth standalone Spider-Man film starring Tom Holland, collected $18 million over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. Sony is forecasting $23.3 million for the four-day holiday weekend.

“Brand New Day” has grossed $2.4 billion worldwide.

Universal Pictures’ “The Odyssey,” as it has for much of the “Spider-Man” run, remained in second place. Christopher Nolan’s epic added $13 million domestically over the weekend, bringing its global haul to $1.63 billion. More than $1 billion of that has come from overseas sales, making “The Odyssey” the first to achieve that international milestone since 2009’s “Avatar.”

Both blockbusters — “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “The Odyssey” — helped lead Hollywood to its best summer since before the pandemic. Through Aug. 31, the domestic box office totaled $4.6 billion for the season, according to Rentrak, an increase of 26.1% from 2025 and just shy of 2013’s record summer.

On Sunday, Rentrak forecast that, including the Labor Day weekend, the summer will end up with $4.759 billion, a whisker above the $4.758 billion of summer 2013. That time frame, though, spans 130 days this year, compared with 123 days in 2013.

Accounting for inflation and higher ticket prices, Hollywood’s summer wasn’t quite so historically sensational. Admissions are still well below pre-pandemic marks. But it’s nevertheless a remarkable rebound for a film industry that has struggled to string together such a hit-filled summer through the pandemic, labor strife and the expansion of streaming.

Labor Day weekend is typically a sleepy time in theaters. And neither new release — Paramount’s “By Any Means” and A24’s “Onslaught” — made much of a mark. One of the weekend’s best performers was “Coyote vs. Acme,” the hybrid live-action-animated Looney Tunes movie. It dipped a modest 29% to gross $11.3 million in its second weekend.

“Coyote vs. Acme” is turning out to be a good investment for Ketchup Entertainment. The indie distributor acquired the film for approximately $50 million after Warner Bros., which produced the $70 million film, opted to can it. In two weeks, “Coyote vs. Acme” has ridden strong reviews and good word-of-mouth to $33.8 million domestically.

“By Any Means,” a 1960s-set civil rights action thriller starring Mark Wahlberg and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, opened with $7.4 million. Paramount is projecting $9.2 million for the four-day holiday weekend. Audiences gave it a “B+” CinemaScore.

“Onslaught,” however, flopped with $1.9 million on 1,918 screens for the three-day weekend and a projection of $2.3 million for the four-day weekend. The A24 release, directed by Adam Wingard, stars Adria Arjona as a former Army sniper who defends her trailer park home from three escaped, experimental super soldiers. “Onslaught” cost a modest $15 million to make. But reviews (57% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and audience scores (a “C” CinemaScore) weren’t good.

Meanwhile, “Buddy,” a low-budget dark comedy, has turned into a surprise success. Made for just $3 million, the film, directed by Casper Kelly and from the producers of “Weapons,” is about a group of children trapped inside a surreal 1990s children’s television series. After overperforming in its opening weekend, “Buddy” actually increased its ticket sales over its second weekend. The film grossed $5.7 million, up 5%, to bring its two-week total to $14.3 million.

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:

1. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” $18 million.

2. “The Odyssey,” $13 million.

3. “Coyote vs. Acme,” $11.3 million.

4. “By Any Means,” $7.4 million.

5. “Insidious: Out of the Further,” $6.5 million.

6. “Cars” (20th anniversary): $6.1 million.

7. “Buddy,” $5.7 million.

8. “PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie,” $3.3 million.

9. “The End of Oak Street,” $2.9 million.

10. “The Dog Stars,” $2.7 million.