'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' makes historic China debut

Film dominates country's box office with record-breaking $121 million five-day opening, highest-ever IMAX earnings

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has delivered a blockbuster start at the China box office, earning $121.3 million during its first five days in cinemas and becoming one of the biggest Hollywood releases in the market this year.

According to Artisan Gateway, the latest Marvel and Sony Pictures superhero film opened at No. 1 during the July 31-Aug. 2 weekend, collecting RMB463.5 million (approximately $68.1 million) over its three-day opening frame. The film's total reached $121.3 million after five days, boosted by strong audience demand across the country.

The Tom Holland-led superhero adventure also set a new milestone in premium format screenings. IMAX contributed $19 million to the opening, making it the highest-grossing IMAX opening weekend ever for a Spider-Man film in China.

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

Elsewhere on the China box office chart, Pearl Studio's animated fantasy All Wishes Come True! placed second with $31.8 million in its third weekend, bringing its cumulative total to $171.5 million. Stephen Chow's sports comedy Kung Fu Soccer ranked third, adding $14.1 million for a domestic total of $318.5 million.

Hezhong Ruike Media's workplace comedy Make Zhonghe Great Again (Johnny Keep Walking! 2) debuted in fourth place with $8.9 million over the weekend, while Universal's Obsession completed the top five with $4.7 million in its second weekend.

China's overall weekend box office reached $132.3 million, with the country's 2026 year-to-date theatrical revenue standing at $3.39 billion.

'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' is based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. Produced by Columbia Pictures, Marvel Studios, and Pascal Pictures, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it is the 38th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the fourth film in the MCU Spider-Man film series following Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). The film was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, and written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. Tom Holland stars as Peter Parker / Spider-Man, alongside Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Florence Pugh, Tramell Tillman, Marisa Tomei, and Mark Ruffalo. In the film, Peter anonymously protects New York City as the hero Spider-Man and investigates a powerful new threat while his superpowers undergo a surprising and potentially dangerous evolution.

Sony was developing a fourth MCU Spider-Man film by August 2019, and producer Amy Pascal revealed in November 2021 that it was intended to be the first in a new trilogy starring Holland. Work on the story began that December, with Holland more involved in development than he was for the previous films. McKenna and Sommers returned as writers by February 2023, Cretton was hired to direct by October 2024, and the title—derived from the 2008 comic book storyline "Brand New Day" that reset Spider-Man's status quo—was announced in March 2025. The producers wanted Holland's Peter to be a "proper Spider-Man" for the first time, on his own and fighting street-level crime in New York City. Ahead of filming, Bernthal and Ruffalo were revealed to be reprising their MCU roles of Frank Castle / Punisher and Bruce Banner / Hulk. Filming took place from August to December 2025, with location filming in Glasgow, Scotland, and throughout England. Soundstage work occurred at Pinewood Studios in England.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on July 27, 2026, and was released in the United States on July 31, as part of Phase Six of the MCU. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and has grossed $932 million worldwide, becoming the third-highest-grossing Spider-Man film and the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2026. It also had the second-biggest opening weekend of all time.

Principal photography began on August 3, 2025, in Glasgow, Scotland, under the working title Blue Oasis, with Brett Pawlak returning as cinematographer from many of Cretton's previous films. Filming was originally expected to begin in early 2025, but was delayed by six months so Holland could film The Odyssey. He was inspired by Nolan's efficient and prepared filmmaking approach and wanted to bring a similar work ethic to Brand New Day, insisting that they have each day's filming planned ahead of time with a clear idea of what the film should be.