‘Spider Man: Brand New Day’ finally lands in Imax after record breaking box office start

Premium screenings begin August 6 while Nolan's epic keeps most 70mm locations through mid September worldwide

Spider Man: Brand New Day is finally heading to Imax screens in the United States after missing out on the premium format during its opening weekend because of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios confirmed that the superhero blockbuster will begin playing in Imax locations from August 6, marking a significant expansion for one of the year's biggest theatrical releases.

The delayed rollout was not due to weak demand. Instead, The Odyssey had secured an exclusive domestic Imax engagement for its first three weekends, giving Christopher Nolan's latest epic complete control of the company's premium large format screens across the United States. That exclusive agreement is now ending, allowing Spider Man: Brand New Day to join the Imax schedule.

Even with the change, The Odyssey will continue to dominate many of the format's most sought after venues. Imax confirmed that Nolan's film will remain on all 41 of its global 70mm film locations, while Spider Man: Brand New Day will share selected digital Imax screens around the world. The arrangement allows both major releases to continue attracting audiences at the same time.

The latest Spider Man adventure has already proved it can thrive without widespread domestic Imax access. According to studio figures, the film opened to an impressive $927m worldwide, including $355m in North America and $572m from international markets. Those numbers placed it among the biggest launches in the franchise's history before its full premium format release in the United States.

Internationally, the film was still able to benefit from Imax screenings in territories including China, Japan and South Korea because The Odyssey had not yet opened there. Those markets contributed a combined $23m in Imax ticket sales during the film's initial release.

Rich Gelfond, chief executive of Imax, praised the film's early success and expressed confidence that audiences will continue returning for the premium experience. He said Spider Man has remained one of the company's strongest theatrical franchises for more than two decades and suggested Brand New Day is continuing that tradition with its record breaking debut.

The decision also reflects an extraordinary summer for cinemas and Imax itself. The company reported that July became the highest grossing month in its history, generating $257m globally. Much of that success has been driven by The Odyssey, which became the first feature filmed entirely with Imax cameras and has already earned $221m worldwide through the format alone. The film is still awaiting release in several major territories, including China, South Korea and Japan, meaning its premium box office total is expected to climb even higher.

Gelfond described The Odyssey as a historic performer that continues to exceed expectations and noted that it remains difficult to predict its final earnings. Imax plans to keep screening the film through at least September 17, ensuring Nolan's epic maintains a strong presence alongside incoming releases.