'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' nears $1bn global debut with historic $927m opening

The record-breaking debut follows an extraordinary opening of $72m in Thursday previews and $168m on its opening day

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has fallen just short of a $1 billion opening weekend, earning a phenomenal $927 million worldwide to deliver the second-biggest global debut in box office history, behind only Avengers: Endgame.

The Marvel and Sony blockbuster opened to $355 million in North America, the second-largest domestic opening ever, trailing Endgame by just $2 million. Internationally, the film added an impressive $572 million, with China leading overseas markets at $121 million, helping propel the superhero adventure towards the billion-dollar milestone in just three days.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the film stars Tom Holland in his fourth solo outing as Peter Parker alongside Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo and Sadie Sink. The latest instalment follows Peter as he embraces life as a street-level hero after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The record-breaking debut follows an extraordinary opening weekend in which Brand New Day also set new benchmarks with $72 million in Thursday previews and $168 million on its opening day. The film has earned strong reviews, including a 90% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, a 98% audience score and an "A" CinemaScore, suggesting it could enjoy a lengthy run in cinemas.

Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman credited the film's success to its emotional themes of friendship and human connection, while industry analysts said the latest Spider-Man adventure demonstrates the enduring appeal of the character despite a challenging period for superhero films. The blockbuster has also helped deliver one of the biggest weekends in box office history, alongside Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.