Hollywood returns to the era of 'billion-dollar' blockbusters... Spider-Man sets new records amid a box office festival

*This content was translated by AI.

A 'billion-dollar feast' in Hollywood... Spider-Man adds to the celebration with new records

Most blockbuster hits since the pandemic, summer theaters heat up

Hollywood is smiling broadly once again.

Sony and Marvel's new film "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" has surpassed the 1st billion dollar (approximately 1.37 trillion won) mark at global box offices, becoming the fourth "Billionaire Club" film of 2026. Previously, Universal's "Super Mario Galaxy Movie," Lionsgate's "Michael," and Disney·Pixar's "Toy Story 5" had already joined this elite group.

Especially, the record set by this "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" goes beyond mere box office success. The film earned $355 million across 4,487 theaters in North America, securing the second-largest opening weekend in history after "Avengers: Endgame's" $357 million in 2019. Subsequent revised figures later adjusted the final opening weekend North American score to $360 million, ultimately surpassing the previous highest opening record set by "Avengers: Endgame."

The reaction from overseas markets was even more explosive. The film earned an additional $573 million outside North America alone, recording a combined global opening of $932 million in its first weekend, achieving the second-largest global opening in history after "Avengers: Endgame."

The record-breaking streak did not stop there. On Friday alone, the first day, it earned $168 million, shattering the all-time single-day box office record. Furthermore, special venues such as Dolby Cinema, 4DX, and ScreenX also saw numerous records being broken across the board.

Reactions from audiences and critics alike have been enthusiastic. The film received high scores of 90% from critics and 98% from audiences according to Rotten Tomatoes, and also garnered positive responses in CinemaScore surveys.

Industry insiders expect this momentum to lift the entire summer theater market. Depending on how long Universal's "Odyssey" can maintain its box office power alongside "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," this summer is expected to become the second season since the pandemic to surpass 4 billion won in global box office revenue. Furthermore, with major releases like "Dune 3" and "Avengers: Doomsday" scheduled for the second half of the year, Hollywood is aiming to break the annual $10 billion box office barrier for the first time since the pandemic.

Paul Dergarabedian, head of market trends at box office analytics firm Comscore, stated that this record-breaking weekend has provided strong momentum for the entire August theater season, significantly increasing the likelihood of both a 4 billion won summer season and a $10 billion annual box office total.

One box office expert described this weekend, where Spider-Man and Odyssey both approached the 1st billion dollar mark, as "a weekend that makes one feel proud to be a box office fan," conveying a festive atmosphere.

Compared to the post-COVID-19 pandemic period when theaters struggled to regain their former vitality, 2026 is clearly a different year. With audiences flocking back to theaters even as ticket prices have risen, Hollywood is being evaluated as finally entering the true "season of blockbusters" after a long time.

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*This content was translated by AI.