Destin Daniel Cretton got a career-best opening from Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which posted an all-time record opening day and previews total of $168 million in the U.S. on Friday. Tom Holland is already looking at the second-best opening of his career, behind only Avengers: Endgame.
The pure Friday number was $96 million after previews were backed out, just shy of Avengers: Endgame's $97.4 million pure Friday. Sony called the film's 3-day weekend at $325 million, while some observers thought the opening was closer to $350 million-plus.
Tom Holland's second-best start
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the biggest domestic opening ever for Sony and a record start for Zendaya and Cretton. For Holland, it trails only Avengers: Endgame, which remains the benchmark because it combined a $109.2 million Saturday with a Sunday ease of 17%.
Brand New Day was expected to be down between 10% and 15% on Sunday from Saturday, which is why the final weekend total matters more than the opening-day headline. The film is still performing in the same lane as the biggest Marvel openings, and Sony is already treating the weekend like a record-setting domestic launch.
PostTrak, PLF, and 3D
Screen Engine/Rentrak PostTrak exits showed 33% of ticket buyers bought same-day, just below the 35% same-day share for Spider-Man: No Way Home. The film also pulled an 88% definite recommend and an A CinemaScore, while PLF screens accounted for 24% of the weekend gross and 3D reached 17% so far.
The audience split skews young and male: 61% male, 39% female, with the 18 to 34 group making up 63% of moviegoers. The biggest demo was ages 18 to 24 at 36%, and that kind of turnout is the sort studios watch when they decide how aggressively to hold screens after opening weekend.
Regal Irvine Spectrum and China
The Regal Irvine Spectrum led all venues with more than $385,000, a reminder that a handful of premium-heavy locations can still punch above their weight in a franchise launch. Over in China, Spider-Man: Brand New Day was No. 1 that weekend with more than $71 million since Wednesday after a Wednesday opening.
The domestic race now comes down to whether the weekend lands near Sony's $325 million call or pushes into the $350 million-plus range some observers have floated. My read: the $168 million Friday and previews total makes this a record start already, but the box office story still depends on how hard the film falls through Sunday.
