Spider-Man: Brand New Day box office previews hit record $72 million

Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day box office run started with $72 million in domestic preview ticket sales, CNBC reported, setting a Hollywood record before the film’s opening weekend fully began. For investors watching studios, theater chains and premium-screen operators, the number is an early sign that franchise films can still pull audiences into theaters at scale.

CNBC reported that the preview haul topped the prior domestic preview record held by Avengers: Endgame, which brought in $60 million before its 2019 opening weekend. The new Spider-Man film stars Tom Holland as Peter Parker, according to Sony.

Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Rentrak, told CNBC that demand for Brand New Day was “nothing short of astonishing,” adding that a preview total above $70 million was unprecedented and showed strong moviegoer interest in the latest Marvel release.

How much did Spider-Man: Brand New Day make in previews?

Spider-Man: Brand New Day made $72 million from domestic preview sales, according to CNBC. Those previews included Wednesday early-access screenings and Thursday night showtimes, which gave the film more runway before the traditional Friday-to-Sunday weekend count.

Box office previews are ticket sales from screenings before a movie’s official wide-release day. They matter because they can signal demand, although fan-heavy films can bring many of their most eager buyers into the earliest available showings.

CNBC reported that the film is expected to earn about $270 million domestically across its debut weekend, with some box office analysts expecting an even higher total. That would put it above Spider-Man: No Way Home, which opened to $260 million domestically in 2021 and remains the second-biggest domestic opening weekend cited by CNBC.

Avengers: Endgame still sits well ahead of that range, according to CNBC, with $357 million in its first three days in 2019. Dergarabedian cautioned that preview sales can be front-loaded, especially when fans feel pressure to see a major franchise film early.

Premium screens matter, even without Imax

CNBC reported that Brand New Day does not have an Imax release because Imax screens are reserved for Christopher Nolan and Universal’s The Odyssey. That removes one high-priced format from the movie’s opening-weekend mix.

The film is still playing on other premium large formats, which are theater experiences that usually charge more than standard tickets because they offer larger screens, motion seats, upgraded sound or other add-ons. CNBC reported that Brand New Day is programmed for ScreenX, 4DX, Dolby Cinema and HDR by Barco, along with premium offerings from AMC, Regal, Cinemark and regional theater operators.

ScreenX accounted for $1.8 million in domestic Thursday ticket sales and is expected to reach $4 million by the end of the weekend, according to CNBC. 4DX has generated about $1.3 million domestically and is projected to hit $4.5 million over the film’s three-day debut.

What it means for the summer box office

The release lands at the end of July, so much of its ticket revenue will show up in August, CNBC reported. That timing could help theaters during a month that is typically the softest stretch of the summer movie calendar.

CNBC reported that the domestic box office has collected $5.6 billion in ticket sales this year through Sunday, which is 16% below 2019, the last full year before Covid disrupted theaters and film production. The 2026 summer period is closer to its 2019 pace, down 9% at $3.05 billion versus $3.36 billion seven years ago.

That gap could narrow further as Imax extends screenings of The Odyssey into September and Brand New Day continues through late summer, according to CNBC. The fall and holiday calendar also includes Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping in November, followed by Warner Bros.’ Dune: Part Three and Disney’s Avengers: Doomsday, both due Dec. 18, CNBC reported.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.