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‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Nets Second Best North American Opening Ever With $355 Million

British actor and cast member Tom Holland arrives for the UK premiere of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London, Britain, 29 July 2026. (EPA)
British actor and cast member Tom Holland arrives for the UK premiere of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London, Britain, 29 July 2026. (EPA)
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‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Nets Second Best North American Opening Ever With $355 Million

British actor and cast member Tom Holland arrives for the UK premiere of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London, Britain, 29 July 2026. (EPA)
British actor and cast member Tom Holland arrives for the UK premiere of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London, Britain, 29 July 2026. (EPA)

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” made box office history in its first weekend in theaters. The Sony-released superhero movie became the second-biggest North American opening ever with an astonishing $355 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. It was just a few million shy of “Avengers: Endgame,” which debuted to $357 million in 2019.

Tom Holland’s run as the comic book webslinger has been a mighty one. “No Way Home,” his third standalone Spider-Man movie, made over $1.9 billion worldwide to become the eighth-highest earning movie of all time, not accounting for inflation. It was also the first movie since the beginning of the pandemic to cross the $1 billion mark.

But the triumph of “Brand New Day” also comes on the heels of another major movie featuring Holland and Zendaya: Christopher Nolan's “The Odyssey,” which slid to second place in its third weekend in theaters with $51 million.

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” started strong, with a record $168 million opening day from 4,487 theaters in the US and Canada, besting “Avenger: Endgame’s” $157 million Friday. The studio predicted it would lead to a $325 million opening weekend, which would still have beaten the second-place record. It takes the place of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” which opened to $260 million in December 2021.

In the realm of best opening weekends in North America, they’re followed by “Avengers: Infinity War” ($257 million in 2018) and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($247 million in 2015).

Expectations were always high for “Brand New Day,” which was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and cost a reported $225 million to produce, not including marketing expenses. But there were worries it wouldn’t attract the same level of mass audience enthusiasm as its predecessor which integrated past Peter Parker actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield into the mix.

In reality, interest was higher than ever. “Brand New Day” also received strong reviews from critics and audiences. It currently has a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes; Audiences gave it an “A” CinemaScore and a five-star rating on PostTrak.

Ticket buyers were predominately male (about 61%) and many were on the younger side, with slightly more than half the audience under the age of 25, according to PostTrak exit polls. The biggest group was between the ages of 18 and 24, which made up 36% of the audience; 27% were between the ages of 25 and 34. The box office analytics company EntTelligence estimates that about 24.1 million people attended “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” this weekend.

It’s also the biggest ever opening for Sony Pictures.

Tom Rothman, the Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, praised “the incomparable Tom Holland” in a statement. Rothman famously pushed back the production of the movie to allow Holland to act in “The Odyssey” as well.

Cries about the death of the superhero movie have been looming since “Endgame” with more than a few high-profile flops in the years since, including several from the once-impenetrable Marvel Studios. Still, when they work, they really work, most notably with “No Way Home” and “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which made over $1.3 billion.

Marvel Studios president and “Spider-Man” producer Kevin Feige said in a statement: “This debut reflects the enduring power of Marvel’s characters, and the connection they continue to have with fans around the world — and, as audiences saw, it sets up exciting things to come.”

Producer Amy Pascal added that it “reinforces that moviegoers are hungry for stories that are both spectacular and deeply human.”

This year has also seen a resurgence of moviegoing from younger audiences, who have made hits out of movies like “Obsession,” “Backrooms” and “The Drama,” which also starred Zendaya.

They’re also helping blockbusters soar, and in a business that is partly propelled by momentum, “Spider-Man” had the benefit of coming after “The Odyssey,” which fell only 43% in its third weekend. “The Odyssey” has now earned $395.5 million domestically, bringing its global total to $911.4 million. The film will soon open in South Korea (Aug. 5), China (Aug. 14) and Japan (Sept. 11).

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Entertainment

Palestinians Are the Real Victims, Thunberg Tells Ed Sheeran

Recording artist Macklemore appears on ABC's "Good Morning America" Summer Concert Series in Central Park in New York on July 22, 2022, left, and Ed Sheeran appears at the premiere of the film "F1 The Movie" in London on June 23, 2025. (AP)
Recording artist Macklemore appears on ABC's "Good Morning America" Summer Concert Series in Central Park in New York on July 22, 2022, left, and Ed Sheeran appears at the premiere of the film "F1 The Movie" in London on June 23, 2025. (AP)
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Palestinians Are the Real Victims, Thunberg Tells Ed Sheeran

Recording artist Macklemore appears on ABC's "Good Morning America" Summer Concert Series in Central Park in New York on July 22, 2022, left, and Ed Sheeran appears at the premiere of the film "F1 The Movie" in London on June 23, 2025. (AP)
Recording artist Macklemore appears on ABC's "Good Morning America" Summer Concert Series in Central Park in New York on July 22, 2022, left, and Ed Sheeran appears at the premiere of the film "F1 The Movie" in London on June 23, 2025. (AP)

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and other activists have called out British superstar Ed Sheeran after rapper Macklemore was dropped from his tour for making pro-Palestinian comments while performing.

Sheeran has denied being behind the decision to remove Macklemore, saying his tour's promoter was responsible, but several supporting acts have announced they were quitting the tour.

"Ed, there is only one victim here: the Palestinian people," Thunberg, together with activist group Humanti Project, said in post to Instagram late on Tuesday.

According to a post by Sheeran, where he stressed the decision was the promoters, venues on the tour "communicated that they would pull the shows if he was still supporting".

Finneas -- a performer also famous for work with his superstar sister Billie Eilish -- Irish acts Aaron Rowe and Beoga, and Lukas Graham of Denmark have all posted they were quitting Sheeran's "Loop Tour".

"This is a clear and undeniable sign that the global consciousness has shifted. The normalization of an apartheid state, and the attempts to sanitize or justify its actions, will no longer be tolerated," the post shared by Thunberg said.

While opening for Sheeran earlier this month at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, Macklemore shouted "Free Palestine!" and told Palestinians they were "not forgotten."

In his post Tuesday, Sheeran touched on his decision not to comment publicly about political subjects, notably the war in Gaza.

"I am not complicit. I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn't mean I don't care," he said.

Macklemore, known for hits including "Thrift Shop" and "Can't Hold Us", has long vocally supported Palestinians.

In 2024 he released "Hind's Hall," which pays tribute to Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl whose death sparked a wave of international outrage.

Entertainment

Dolly Parton Corn Mazes Crop Up in Fields Across US

A portrait of Dolly Parton fills a 5-acre corn maze at Twins BBQ Co. in Brookfield, Conn., on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (AP)
A portrait of Dolly Parton fills a 5-acre corn maze at Twins BBQ Co. in Brookfield, Conn., on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (AP)
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Dolly Parton Corn Mazes Crop Up in Fields Across US

A portrait of Dolly Parton fills a 5-acre corn maze at Twins BBQ Co. in Brookfield, Conn., on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (AP)
A portrait of Dolly Parton fills a 5-acre corn maze at Twins BBQ Co. in Brookfield, Conn., on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (AP)

Dolly Parton ’s megawatt smile and big wavy locks are gracing fields across the US and Canada this fall.

Twenty farms have carved out large corn mazes to honor the late country music icon, actor and philanthropist and raise money for her Imagination Library, which provides free books to children.

The “Jolene” crooner's death due to cancer on Aug. 25 in Nashville at age 80 brought an outpouring of tributes. They ranged from a drive to rename the country music capital’s airport in Parton’s honor to a surge in online streams of “9 to 5,” “Islands in the Stream” and her many other hit songs.

Now she is being immortalized in corn, with the mazes located in about a dozen states and two provinces, from Alabama to California and Ohio to Texas. Most also feature a Parton-themed trivia game, photo ops and other offerings.

Brett Herbst, founder of The Maize Inc., the Utah-based consulting company that designed the mazes, called Parton a “true American treasure.”

“Dolly’s impact on the world and her love for farming is immeasurable, and our corn maze tributes now take on new meaning and significance,” Herbst said.

The company said the mazes were in the works months before Parton died and are part of its annual campaign honoring country music’s brightest stars. Previous honorees included Reba McEntire in 2023, Luke Bryan in 2024 and Lainey Wilson in 2025.

Parton, who famously grew up poor in rural Tennessee, thanked organizers for supporting her charity before to her death. In a statement provided by The Maize Inc., she encouraged people to “get lost in this year’s country music corn maze for a little fun, laughter and a real good reason to get lost.”

One of the mazes is in an expansive cornfield next to Twins BBQ in Brookfield, Connecticut, about 55 miles (90 kilometers) northeast of New York. The likeness of Parton beams skyward, ringed by the words “Dolly” and “An American Treasure” and a series of stars.

Danielle Gallop, who co-owns the business with her husband, admits to not knowing much about Parton before attending last year’s corn maze convention at Dollywood, the Tennessee theme park Parton co-owned. But she came away impressed.

“They told us all about her integrity and how she ran all of her businesses and how smart and generous and kind and just really ethical and humble” Parton was, Gallop said, “which is all the things that we aspire to be as business owners.”

Parton’s passing “made it exponentially more meaningful” to be honoring her this year, Gallop added. “She was such an icon.”

Stephanie Chen and her young son, William, were among those winding through the Parton maze Sunday.

They said the easiest part was navigating the part where the “Dolly” is written out in capital letters.

“Because there’s only one way through,” Chen joked.

Gallop says the trickiest part is Parton’s hair. “She has a lot of it, and it comes to little tips,” the owner said. “You don’t know where the next little opening is going to be. I got lost several times.”

The most memorable part of the experience has been seeing visitors dressing up for the occasion.

“We’ve had people in cowboy boots and cowboy hats and Dolly Parton shirts,” Gallop said. “It’s been really great to see all the love pouring out for her.”

Entertainment

‘Resident Evil’ Film Brings Video Game’s Ethos to the Big Screen

Zach Cregger, co-writer/director of "Resident Evil," arrives at the premiere of the film on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP)
Zach Cregger, co-writer/director of "Resident Evil," arrives at the premiere of the film on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP)
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‘Resident Evil’ Film Brings Video Game’s Ethos to the Big Screen

Zach Cregger, co-writer/director of "Resident Evil," arrives at the premiere of the film on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP)
Zach Cregger, co-writer/director of "Resident Evil," arrives at the premiere of the film on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP)

US director Zach Cregger is a huge fan of the "Resident Evil" video game franchise, so when he was tapped to direct its new film adaptation, he gave himself one objective: "Be authentic to the spirit of the games."

The "Weapons" and "Barbarian" filmmaker did so by leaning into the visual language of video games, shooting the film from the perspective of the protagonist, played by Austin Abrams.

Cregger decided it was more important to match the vibe of playing "Resident Evil" than using the characters or plot from the series.

"It's a new character, but the story should feel like the gameplay feels," he told AFP in an interview.

The new film, which hits US theaters on Friday, follows Bryan (Abrams), a courier who takes on a late-night delivery job from a hospital that quickly devolves into a nightmare.

By placing the camera behind Abrams so it was "swinging around to look at what he's looking at," he choreographed it such that it "feels video game-like" from that first-person perspective.

Another way he adapted the game was in the progression of weaponry available for the hero.

"You start with a pistol, and then you get a shotgun, then you get a machine gun," Cregger explained.

"I feel like people who play the games...are gonna recognize many aspects of the games in this movie."

- 'Sense of dread' -

While previous movie adaptations of "Resident Evil" -- such as those starring Milla Jovovich -- were more action movies, Cregger went all-in on horror for the latest edition.

"I wanted to really lean into the horror, and that slow sense of dread that the games have done so well across all of them," Cregger said.

That is not to say the new film lacks action sequences, and leading man Abrams said he had to get in shape to shoot the movie -- though he did not want to look like he was playing a superhero.

"A part of the challenge was...I wanted the character to not be someone that looked like they could do this," Abrams told AFP.

"I feel like the more in-shape he is, the more you feel like, 'okay, man, maybe you can do this.'"

The 30-year-old actor admitted he had never played "Resident Evil" until he landed the film's lead role, but he is now familiar with the challenge -- and he does not think he would make it through the ordeal his character Bryan has to survive.

Cregger said he knows the "Resident Evil" fan base might not be totally satisfied with the lack of characters or details from the games themselves, but he stayed true to his vision.

"I'm sorry that's not what this movie is, but I feel like if I had done that, I would have screwed it up," Cregger said.

"To me, the best thing to do is to tell an original story that celebrates everything that I love about the games."