Records Falling on Two Fronts
Spider-Man's chase is now historic: it will soon pass "Avengers: Endgame" to become the second highest-grossing domestic release of all time, behind only "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" at $936.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
"The Odyssey", in third place with $19.5 million in its sixth weekend, crossed two marks in one week: it became the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever, passing "Deadpool & Wolverine", and its $539.1 million domestic total edged past "The Dark Knight's" $534.9 million — Nolan's previous best, not adjusting for inflation. International momentum came largely from China and Korea, which drove a $68 million overseas weekend.
The Newcomers Struggled
Sony's "Insidious: Out of the Further" was the weekend's best debut at No. 2 with $25.3 million. The rest landed with a thud: Jason Statham's "Mutiny" opened sixth with $7.5 million — not helped by accidentally streaming free on Prime Video for a few hours days before release — and the comedy "Spa Weekend", from the makers of "The Hangover", managed just $3.1 million, less than a 25th-anniversary re-release of "The Fast and the Furious".
What Comes Next
The summer season, which runs through Labor Day, has generated an estimated $4.4 billion in North America — among the four biggest summers ever, and evidence the pipeline has finally recovered from the 2023 Hollywood strikes. "I don't know how you can replicate this summer. Studios will try," said analyst Paul Dergarabedian. The year has passed $7 billion, up 20.4 percent on 2025 but still 7.1 percent behind 2019.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What was the No. 1 movie at the box office this weekend?
- "Spider-Man: Brand New Day", with $39 million in its fourth weekend, for a domestic total of over $854.9 million.
- Is "The Odyssey" Christopher Nolan's biggest movie?
- Yes — its $539.1 million domestic and $1.4 billion worldwide totals passed "The Dark Knight", his previous best, not adjusting for inflation. It's also now the highest-grossing R-rated film ever.
- How big is the 2026 summer box office?
- About $4.4 billion in North America so far, putting it among the four highest-grossing summers on record.
