Berliner Abendpost - 'Spider-Man' breaks record for domestic box office debut

The latest entry in the Marvel superhero franchise -- with British actor Tom Holland once again in the titular role -- earned $360 million, up from Sunday's estimate of $355 million, production company Sony Pictures said.

That haul put "Brand New Day" ahead of the previous record-holder, Disney's "Avengers: Endgame," which debuted in 2019 with $357 million -- not adjusted for inflation.

The updated domestic figures also bring the film's total global debut to $932 million, still in second-place to the gargantuan $1.2 billion earned by "Endgame."

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, "Brand New Day" sees Peter Parker (Holland) living in isolation after he erased his identity from the world and struggling with changes to his mutant powers.

As he tries to reconnect with former girlfriend MJ (played by Zendaya, who is Holland's real-life wife) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), Spider-Man must go toe-to-toe with a new force threatening New York City.

Mark Ruffalo, Florence Pugh, and Sadie Sink also join in the film, which precedes the release of "Avengers: Doomsday" in December.

Variety called the "Brand New Day" opening "mind-boggling," while noting it and "Endgame" are the only two movies to ever earn $300 million in a single weekend.

The Spider-Man debut is also notable given its competition with Christopher Nolan's latest blockbuster "The Odyssey," which had dibs on IMAX screens.

"Brand New Day" is set to begin its IMAX run this coming weekend.

W.Hansen--BlnAP