Coverage spread: 2 sources — 1 left · 1 center
Lean ratings via AllSides / Media Bias-Fact-Check. How this works.
Where they agree
- “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” had the second-biggest domestic opening weekend ever, just behind “Avengers: Endgame’s” $357 million 2019 debut.
- The film’s global opening weekend take was roughly $930 million, combining with Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” to produce the biggest overall box office weekend in history.
- Both outlets quote Paul Dergarabedian of Rentrak, who says the results point to a resurgence for movie theaters and a possible $4 billion summer, the best since 2019.
- Both note China contributed heavily to the international haul and describe strong turnout across premium large-format screens.
- NBC reports the domestic opening at $360 million while CNBC reports a more precise estimated $355 million, reflecting slightly different figures or rounding at time of publication.
- CNBC provides granular breakdowns — day-by-day sales, attendance figures from EntTelligence, ticket prices, and specific premium-format records (Dolby, Screen X, 4DX) — that NBC omits.
- NBC frames the story more broadly around the theatrical industry’s post-pandemic comeback, citing other 2025-26 billion-dollar hits like “Toy Story 5” and comparing the weekend to “Barbenheimer.”
- CNBC includes a direct quote from Marvel’s Kevin Feige thanking audiences, which NBC does not include; NBC instead emphasizes fan behavior around “The Odyssey,” like year-ahead ticket purchases and 2 a.m. screenings.
What happened at the box office
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” the fourth Tom Holland-led Spider-Man film from Sony and Marvel, opened domestically to either $360 million (NBC News) or an estimated $355 million (CNBC), depending on the outlet’s figures — both describing it as the second-biggest domestic opening weekend ever, trailing only “Avengers: Endgame’s” $357 million debut in 2019. CNBC breaks down the day-by-day numbers: a record-setting Thursday preview, $169.3 million on Friday (including presales), $101.5 million on Saturday, and a projected $84 million on Sunday, with final figures due Monday.
Globally, the film pulled in roughly $927 million to $932 million in its first weekend, including $121 million from China alone, according to CNBC. NBC News notes the film holds a 90% critic score and 98% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The weekend’s other major draw was Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” from Universal, which added another $51 million in its own run, according to NBC News. NBC reports that anticipation for that film was so intense that some fans bought tickets more than a year ahead of release, while others resorted to buying resold tickets or attending 2 a.m. showings. Combined, the two films pushed the overall weekend past the previous record set by “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019, per NBC.
How theaters and premium formats fared
CNBC reports that EntTelligence data put attendance at roughly 24.1 million moviegoers in the U.S. and Canada for “Brand New Day,” with about 21% of tickets sold for premium large-format screens at an average price of $18.55. Because IMAX screens were tied up with “The Odyssey,” “Brand New Day” didn’t get an IMAX release — but other premium formats still set records: Dolby Cinema had its best-grossing domestic weekend ever with $10 million from the film, Screen X brought in $7 million, and 4DX topped $5.2 million, both records for parent company CJ4DPlex.
What industry voices are saying
Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Rentrak, is quoted by both outlets. He compared the pairing of two blockbusters driving moviegoing fervor to the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon of 2023, per NBC. He told CNBC the results mean the summer is on track to be the biggest for box office revenue since 2019, potentially topping $4 billion, calling it “no small feat.” NBC adds his broader outlook: he projects a $4 billion summer and roughly $10 billion for the year, which could make 2026 the highest-grossing summer and year since 2019.
Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios and a producer on “Brand New Day,” is quoted only by CNBC, thanking audiences for turning out and saying the debut reflects “the enduring power of Marvel’s characters” and sets up “exciting things to come.”
Why this is being framed as a turning point
NBC frames the weekend as evidence that movie theaters have rebounded from years of post-pandemic attendance struggles, labor strikes, and competition from streaming. Dergarabedian tells NBC he never expected to see another $400 million weekend or a $300 million domestic opener again, calling the current numbers proof that theaters have become a go-to destination for entertainment. NBC also points to other 2025-26 hits — “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” “Michael,” and “Toy Story 5” — as films that crossed $1 billion globally, alongside smaller titles like “Obsession” and “Backrooms” drawing younger audiences, as signs of a broader theatrical rebound.
Sources
Featured photo: S. Perquin via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)