SPIDER-MAN and THE ODYSSEY Remain on Top; August Scores an All-Time Record Box Office

Sep 06, 2026

For the sixth consecutive weekend, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY took home first place at the weekend box office, adding $18.0M to its massive $917.8M total. With none of this weekend’s new wide releases contributing much, it fell to SPIDER-MAN in its sixth weekend and THE ODYSSEY in its eighth to carry the load. All movies combined produced $90.4M in this, the 36th weekend of the year. After five straight weekends with 2026 outperforming the matching weekends in 2025, the current year's winning streak has ended. On this weekend last year, Warner Bros.’ THE CONJURING: LAST RITES opened with a powerful $84.0M, lifting the total for all films to $124.6M.

We expect next weekend’s box office to wind up lower than last year’s once again. Although Warner Bros.’ PRACTICAL MAGIC 2 should do well in its opening next weekend, it will not measure up to last year’s top movie on the same weekend, when Sony’s anime feature DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA — INFINITY CASTLE earned an impressive $70.6M. All films that weekend earned $147.4M and this year’s lineup will not have enough firepower to keep pace.

The good news for theatre owners is that they are coming off of the highest-grossing August of all time, with $1.267B in ticket sales which was 24% higher than the previous August record of $1.019B set in 2016. The star performers were SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY which earned $723.9M within the month and THE ODYSSEY which earned $207.1M.

In August 2016, the top movie of was Warner Bros.’ SUICIDE SQUAD which earned $286.4M. It starred Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie and Viola Davis. Universal’s spy thriller JASON BOURNE starring Matt Damon, finished second with $91.5M. Damon may be experiencing déjà vu, with films he starred in finishing in second place in both months, ten years apart.

August 2026 was extremely top-heavy. Its two highest-grossing films accounted for 73% of the month’s domestic box office, compared with only 37% for the top two films in August 2016 – perhaps the clearest difference between the two periods. August 2016 offered considerably greater depth, with seven pictures earning at least $45M during the month. In today’s marketplace, which is much more dependent on blockbusters, only three films surpassed $45M.

Here is how the month performed compared to recent years.

AUGUST BOX OFFICE AND ATTENDANCE

The brightest spot in these numbers is an increase in attendance for the month. While box office is the figure that grabs all the headlines, attendance pays the bills for exhibitors. August 2026 registered 81% higher attendance than August 2025 and 16% more than August 2019. Here is how the last four weeks compare against the same period one year ago.

THE LAST FOUR WEEKS – 2026 vs. 2025

#1 - SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY

Sony and Marvel’s SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY remained in first place for the sixth consecutive weekend, bringing in $18.0M and dropping only 20%. After 38 days, the record-setting film has amassed a total box office of $917.8M domestically and $2.403B worldwide. It crossed over $900M in the domestic market on its 36th day in release, the fastest ever. SPIDER-MAN’s relatively modest Labor Day weekend drop of 20% keeps it on a path to becoming the highest-grossing movie of all time in the domestic market, with only $18.9M to go.

5 Highest-Grossing Movies of All-Time in the Domestic Market

Based on our projections for SPIDER-MAN’s grosses over the next few weeks, it could take over the top spot as early as next Sunday. SPIDER-MAN’s success is another clear indication that the industry has moved on from struggling with the impact of the pandemic.

SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY's Path to the Box Office Record

Film Week Estimated Gross Total Gross

8/20-8/27 $53.4M $869.3M

8/28-9/3 $30.5M $899.8M

9/4-9/10 $28.0M $927.8M

9/11-9/17 $14.0M $941.8M

Somehow, some way we think that Sony will do everything they can to get their movie to a $1B total domestic gross, making it the only film in history to cross that magical boundary. It may take a re-release or two, but they are not going to stop short of such an historic accomplishment.

SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY vs. SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME and STAR WARS: EPISODE VII – THE FORCE AWAKENS after 38 Days

On the worldwide stage, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY’s $2.4B placed it third behind AVATAR which earned $2.9B in 2009 and AVENGERS: ENDGAME which earned $2.8B in 2019.

#2 - THE ODYSSEY

Universal’s THE ODYSSEY moved back into second place this weekend, adding $13.0M and dropping a minuscule 9%. Now in its 8th week after 52 days, the film has earned $584.8M domestically and $1.627B globally. In almost any other year, this would be the story of the summer, but SPIDER-MAN pushed it off the front page when it arrived. THE ODYSSEY has rewritten the record books in its own right. Consider the following achievements as of September 6th.

THE ODYSSEY is the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, with a worldwide total of $1.627B. The previous record holder among R-Rated films was DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, which earned $1.338B in 2024. In the domestic market, THE ODYSSEY’s $584.8M still trails the $636.7M earned by DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE.
THE ODYSSEY is the highest-grossing IMAX film of all time, having earned an estimated $190M in the domestic market and $486M on IMAX screens worldwide. This includes an amazing $66M from the 41 operating IMAX 70mm screens. That means that IMAX has supplied approximately 30% of the film’s entire worldwide gross. The previous worldwide IMAX record belonged to AVATAR from 2009 at approximately $271M, so THE ODYSSEY has exceeded it by roughly $215M—or 79%. THE ODYSSEY’s IMAX 70mm engagements have been extended through September 30, which means that these totals will still be growing.
THE ODYSSEY is the highest-grossing Christopher Nolan-directed film of all time, both domestically and globally. The film has earned $584.8M in the U.S. and Canada, surpassing Nolan’s previous domestic record-holder, THE DARK KNIGHT from 2008, which collected $535.0M from its original release and subsequent re-releases. THE ODYSSEY is already ahead by $49.8M, or 9%. Globally, THE ODYSSEY has reached $1.627B, crushing the previous Nolan record of $1.085B established by THE DARK KNIGHT RISES from 2012, which represents an advantage of $542.0M, or 50%. This is a remarkable margin considering the fact that THE ODYSSEY has an R- rating and is not part of an established movie franchise.

Christopher Nolan’s Six Highest-Grossing Movies

THE ODYSSEY vs. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES after 52 Days

#3 - COYOTE VS. ACME

COYOTE VS. ACME from Ketchup Entertainment dropped from #2 to #3 in its second weekend, earning $11.3M, a decline of 29%, bringing its ten-day totals to $33.8M domestically. Its opening weekend was hailed as a success after the film finished second behind SPIDER-MAN with nearly $16M. It was the biggest opening in Ketchup’s history, more than 5X the $3.1M debut in 2024 of THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE, its previous record holder. Ahead of the release, Ketchup CEO Gareth West suggested that this film would connect with longtime Looney Tunes fans while introducing these iconic characters to a new generation. Its opening and highly favorable audience scores support that claim.

The complicated economics surrounding COYOTE VS. ACME make its financial performance difficult to assess. Warner Bros. completed production on the film in 2022 at a reported cost of approximately $70M, although post-production continued afterward. In March 2025, the studio finalized the sale of worldwide rights to Ketchup for approximately $50M. Deadline reported in August 2026 that Ketchup subsequently sold international distribution rights for around $20M. Those negotiations began after Ketchup retained the Paris-based Kinology to introduce the film to overseas buyers at the Cannes Film Market in May 2025.

Selling the international rights was strategically important for three reasons:

It reduced Ketchup’s risk. Approximately $20M in foreign sales lowered its net acquisition exposure from $50M to $30M.
It shifted international marketing costs. Local distributors would generally assume much of the expense of advertising, booking, and distributing the film within their territories.
It provided global infrastructure. As a small independent distributor without Warner Bros.' worldwide operation, Ketchup could secure a broader international release without building its own distribution network.

The $20M in foreign sales does not necessarily mean Ketchup’s complete financial exposure is exactly $30M. Sales commissions, delivery expenses, and domestic marketing costs must also be considered. Nevertheless, if one uses $30M as a simplified starting point, approximately $75M in worldwide theatrical grosses could be viewed as an initial benchmark for theatrical recovery. That is substantially below the approximately $125M the film might have needed had Ketchup retained the entire $50M acquisition cost. These figures remain estimates because theater splits, marketing costs and ancillary revenue are not publicly available.

Ketchup had reason to believe that Wile E. Coyote, the Road Runner and the broader Looney Tunes brand would be especially appealing in North America. The courtroom plot—complete with personal-injury attorneys, defective-product litigation and a satirical American corporation—also has a distinctly American flavor. In addition, its stars Will Forte and John Cena are arguably stronger commercial attractions to North American audiences than they are in international markets. We consider Ketchup’s international-rights sale to be an astute move. It reportedly reduced the company’s acquisition exposure by approximately 40%.

Many observers were quick to conclude that Warner Bros. made a mistake by selling COYOTE VS. ACME’s rights for only $50M. In fact, the film has not yet performed well enough to support that conclusion. Had Warner Bros. released the movie on its own after spending $70M on production, it would have needed to earn $175M worldwide to reach profitability. Instead, Warner Bros. accepted a reported price approximately $20M below the production budget and eliminated the additional financial risk of releasing and marketing the picture.

In many respects, both companies made defensible decisions. Warner Bros. limited its additional exposure and recovered a substantial portion of its investment, while Ketchup reduced its own risk through foreign-rights sales and turned the film into the biggest theatrical opening in the company’s history. Whether either side ultimately secured the better deal will depend on the film’s final theatrical total and the value of its digital, streaming, television and home-entertainment rights.

COYOTE VS. ACME vs. THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE after 10 Days

#4 - BY ANY MEANS

Paramount’s historical crime thriller BY ANY MEANS opened in fourth place with $7.4M. Set in 1966 Mississippi, the film was written by Sascha Penn and directed by Elegance Bratton, whose previous work includes the documentary PIER KIDS (2019), the autobiographical Marine Corps drama THE INSPECTION (2022) and the documentary MOVE YA BODY: THE BIRTH OF HOUSE (2025). The film represents a major jump in scale for Bratton, combining a civil-rights drama, mismatched-partner thriller and violent revenge story. Paramount acquired the completed film’s U.S. distribution rights in April 2026 and positioned it as the studio’s Labor Day weekend release.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as Wayne Strider, a principled young African American FBI agent. Abdul-Mateen is best known for AQUAMAN (2018), WATCHMEN (2019), THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 (2020), CANDYMAN (2021) and AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM (2023). Mark Wahlberg plays Gregory “Greg” Scarpa, the real-life Colombo crime-family enforcer and FBI informant. Wahlberg’s best-known films include BOOGIE NIGHTS (1997), THE DEPARTED (2006), THE FIGHTER (2010), TED (2012) and PATRIOTS DAY (2016).

The story begins after members of the Ku Klux Klan firebomb the Mississippi home of NAACP leader Vernon Dahmer, who dies from his injuries. Wayne is assigned to investigate but encounters racial hostility, compromised local authorities and resistance within the FBI itself. He is forced to work with Scarpa, a ruthless Mafia killer whom the bureau secretly uses as an informant. Their uneasy partnership gradually blurs the line between lawful investigation and personal vengeance as they pursue the Klansmen who were responsible. Wayne is a fictional composite, but Scarpa’s relationship with the FBI and Dahmer’s January 1966 murder are grounded in history.

The real Scarpa was nicknamed “The Grim Reaper” and operated simultaneously as a Colombo-family killer and longtime FBI informant. Members of the Scarpa family advised the filmmakers, providing Bratton and Wahlberg with personal details unavailable in official records. Wahlberg wore a prominent prosthetic nose, longer hair and amber-tinted glasses to recreate Scarpa’s distinctive appearance. Scarpa’s son, Gregory Jr., said Wahlberg’s transformation was so convincing that the sight of him felt as if he were looking at his father.

BY ANY MEANS holds a 55% Tomatometer score with critics but a much stronger 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The Daily Beast said, “Wahlberg’s nose isn’t the element that truly undoes ‘By Any Means’. It is, however, emblematic of a perpetually posturing project that’s all look-at-me surface and no substance.” The New York Times added, “It might have approached the material as either film noir or straight-up exploitation, but its sincerity exists uneasily with its head-smashing, and the buddy-cop elements feel out of place.” Screen Crush blasted away with, “’ By Any Means’ might hit harder if Abdul-Mateen and Wahlberg felt like they were appearing in the same movie.” Indiewire, however, was hopeful, saying, “Those already on board with its message about America’s past sins will undoubtedly enjoy the protagonists’ quest for justice, and the riveting packaging might also introduce its historical subject matter to a few of the uninitiated.”

The production budget for the film is estimated to be $30M, which would require $75M in global ticket sales to be theatrically profitable. Almost all ticket sales will come domestically, as its story about race relations in the U.S. in the 60’s has little appeal to foreign audiences. Paramount acquired the completed film’s U.S. distribution rights from its independent producers in a deal negotiated by WME Independent. Financial terms were not disclosed, although the acquisition price is estimated at approximately $15M. This puts Paramount on much better footing, and for them the film will need to do $38M domestically. However, based on its opening weekend of $7.4M, the film will struggle to hit that number.

BY ANY MEANS is most directly comparable to the iconic 1988 movie MISSISSIPPI BURNING. Both are fact-based crime thrillers set in 1960s Mississippi in which investigators pursue Ku Klux Klan members responsible for murdering civil-rights activists while confronting a racist power structure extending into local law enforcement. Admittedly, MISSISSIPPI BURNING was a far more accomplished film, receiving seven Academy Award nominations—including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Gene Hackman—and won for Best Cinematography. Nevertheless, the striking similarities in subject, setting and investigative structure make it the most relevant comparison.

BY ANY MEANS vs. MISSISSIPPI BURNING

#5 - INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER

Sony’s INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER fell to fifth place, taking in $6.5M and dropping 36%. This brings its 17-day total to $54.1M domestically. After its second weekend, it is running 24% behind the pace set by INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR. While the movie will wind up being profitable, any franchise showing signs of decline calls into question the viability of future installments.

Why is the decline happening? OUT OF THE FURTHER may be suffering because it lacks THE RED DOOR’s strongest selling point: the return of Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne and Ty Simpkins as the Lambert family. THE RED DOOR was promoted as the conclusion to the franchise’s original storyline, while Wilson’s directorial debut provided an additional marketing hook.

OUT OF THE FURTHER introduces new characters, with Lin Shaye providing the principal connection to earlier installments, making it feel more like a spinoff than a continuation. Its $25.1M domestic opening was 24% below THE RED DOOR’s, starting off on a lower trajectory. It then dropped 59% during its second weekend, indicating limited repeat business. Although its 58% Rotten Tomatoes score is considerably better than THE RED DOOR’S 40%, the low grade suggests that paying audiences were not especially enthusiastic. Competition has also been much tougher. OUT OF THE FURTHER opened while SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY and THE ODYSSEY were dominating theatres.

On the other hand, INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER will be very profitable since it has earned approximately $129.0Mglobally against a production budget of only $18M. This takes its global gross-to-production cost ratio to 7-to-1, but clearly behind its predecessor’s 12-to-1 ratio. Sony and Blumhouse will take great care of where they go next with the franchise that has almost become a guaranteed annuity.

INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER vs. INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR after 17 Days