Record Summer on the Horizon
The domestic box office is on track to set a new all-time summer record, according to Rentrak data. As of Saturday morning, the marketplace was $112.2 million shy of the 2013 record of $4.756 billion. With the Friday-Monday Labor Day frame projected to bring in over $118 million, the summer of 2026 is expected to surpass that mark, finishing around $4.76 billion. This summer is longer than the 2013 season, spanning 130 days compared to 123.[S1]
Labor Day is typically a quiet weekend for studios, but this year is an exception. The only previous major release on this holiday was 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which opened to $94.6 million. Now, Sony and Marvel's Spider-Man: Brand New Day is projected to earn $22 million over the four-day frame, making it one of the best holdovers for the holiday, trailing only The Sixth Sense, Crazy Rich Asians, and Guardians of the Galaxy.[S1]
Spider-Man's Historic Climb
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is chasing box office history. With a running total of $922 million after six weeks, it is poised to surpass Star Wars: The Force Awakens' $936.6 million to become the highest-grossing domestic film of all time. The movie's performance is a key driver of the summer's success, with a Friday gross of $3.86 million and a three-day estimate of $17.25 million.[S1]
Universal's The Odyssey also continues to perform strongly, with an eighth weekend gross of $16.4 million over four days, bringing its total to $588.1 million. This makes it Universal's second-highest grossing domestic release, behind Jurassic World ($653.4 million) and ahead of The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($574.1 million).[S1]
Newcomers and Niche Success
Among new releases, Paramount's By Any Means, starring Mark Wahlberg and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, opened higher than expected with $8.5 million over four days and a B+ CinemaScore. Lionsgate's Fall 2: Deadpoint and A24's Onslaught had softer openings, with $2.7 million and $2.3 million respectively. Sony and Crunchyroll's re-release of the 1988 anime classic Akira also entered the top 10 with $3.5 million over four days.[S1]
Smaller films face challenges, but Roadside Attractions and Saban's Buddy is an exception. The Sundance acquisition, with a P&A spend under $5 million, is holding well, grossing $7.4 million over four days for a total of $15.98 million. It appeals strongly to under-25 audiences, with 44% of its audience in that demographic, and could become one of the distributor's highest-grossing films ever.[S1]
