“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is still setting the pace at the domestic box office, holding the No. 1 spot in its sixth weekend while crossing a major benchmark faster than any film before it.
The Marvel-Sony tentpole added $3.9 million on Friday, taking its domestic total past $900 million. The film reached that mark in 36 days, surpassing the previous 50-day record set by 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
The milestone arrives as two new action titles, Paramount’s “By Any Means” and A24’s “Onslaught,” entered theaters on Friday but were unable to push “Brand New Day” from the top of the chart. Over the four-day Labor Day weekend, “Spider-Man” is projected to earn $22 million, which would lift its domestic total to $922 million.
That puts the film within striking distance of another all-time mark. “Brand New Day” is expected to eventually pass $936 million, the domestic total that would move it ahead of “The Force Awakens” as the highest-grossing domestic film of all time.
New releases open behind holdovers
Among the weekend’s newcomers, “By Any Means” posted the stronger start. The Paramount release earned $2.7 million domestically on Friday, placing fourth behind “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” “The Odyssey” and “Coyote vs. Acme.” The film is expected to reach $8.5 million across the long weekend.
Set in 1960s Mississippi, “By Any Means” follows a young FBI agent who recruits a mafia hitman to help investigate the murders of civil rights leaders. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Mark Wahlberg headline the film, with Nicole Beharie, Josh Lucas, Lisa Gay Hamilton and La Chanze also starring. Elegance Bratton directs from a screenplay by Sascha Penn.
A24’s “Onslaught” had a more muted opening day, grossing $770,000 on Friday. The film is currently on pace for $2.3 million by Monday.
Adria Arjona leads “Onslaught” as Celeste, an army sniper who must protect her daughter from a squad of genetically engineered super soldiers. The cast also includes Dan Stevens, Eric Wareheim, Reginald Vel Johnson, Michael Biehn, Blake Kennedy and Alex Pereira. Adam Wingard, described in the source material as the filmmaker behind “Godzilla vs. Kong,” directs from a script by Simon Barrett.
“The Odyssey” and “Coyote vs. Acme” keep drawing audiences
While the new titles tried to break through, returning films continued to occupy much of the upper box office. Universal’s “The Odyssey,” another July holdover, earned $3 million on Friday and moved into second place for the day. Through Monday, it is expected to bring in $16.4 million, pushing its North American total to $588 million.
Ketchup Entertainment’s “Coyote vs. Acme,” which opened last week, also showed strength in its second weekend. The Looney Tunes comedy collected $2.6 million on Friday and is projected to earn about $15.3 million by the end of the weekend. That would bring its domestic total to $37.8 million.
20th Century’s “The Dog Stars,” however, continues to struggle in its sophomore frame. The dystopian drama made $720,000 on Friday and is expected to finish the weekend with $3.7 million, down from its $8 million opening.
What happens next?
The next major box office watch is whether “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” can complete its climb past “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” After reaching $900 million domestically in record time and with a projected $922 million domestic total by the end of the Labor Day frame, the film is closing in on the $936 million mark needed to become the highest-grossing domestic release of all time.