Spider-Man: Brand New Day earned a record-breaking $72 million in Thursday previews across North America, giving Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios the largest preview total ever recorded. The result places the Tom Holland-led superhero film on course for one of the strongest domestic openings in box office history.
Key Takeaways
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day collected $72 million in Thursday previews.
- The film surpassed the previous preview record established by Avengers: Endgame.
- Tom Holland returns as Spider-Man alongside Zendaya and Jon Bernthal.
- The preview total is the highest recorded for any wide release in 2026.
- Early ticket sales exceeded the studio’s previous opening weekend projections.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day opened with a record $72 million in Thursday box office previews across 4,300 North American theaters, giving Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios the highest preview total ever recorded before a domestic release. The result surpassed the previous benchmark established by Avengers: Endgame and immediately reshaped expectations for the film’s opening weekend.
The early performance marks the strongest preview launch of 2026 and adds another milestone to the Spider-Man franchise. The latest installment reunites Tom Holland with Zendaya while introducing a new chapter following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. The film follows earlier reports examining Tom Holland’s evolving Spider-Man as Peter Parker enters a new phase of the character’s story.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Sets New Preview Record
The $72 million preview total established a new all-time record for Thursday previews in North America.
The previous record belonged to Avengers: Endgame, which earned approximately $60 million during Thursday previews before opening to $357.1 million domestically in 2019. That film also went on to generate more than $1.2 billion globally during its opening weekend.
By surpassing that benchmark, Spider-Man: Brand New Day now holds the highest single preview total reported before a North American theatrical release.
The preview earnings were collected from approximately 4,300 locations, giving the film one of the widest launches of the year.
The result also delivered the largest preview performance of 2026 by a significant margin.
Earlier releases such as The Odyssey, Toy Story 5, and Michael posted Thursday preview totals below $20 million before their nationwide openings. Similar blockbuster momentum was seen during the Toy Story 5 record debut earlier this year.
Thursday Box Office Total Surpasses Previous Benchmark
The preview performance immediately exceeded earlier expectations established before release.
Sony Pictures had projected a domestic opening weekend of roughly $195 million. Even that estimate would have ranked among the largest opening weekends ever recorded in North America.
Following the $72 million preview total, industry attention shifted toward the film’s full three-day debut as ticket sales continued into Friday and the weekend.
The latest Spider-Man release also outperformed the franchise’s previous preview benchmark.
Spider-Man: No Way Home earned approximately $50 million in Thursday previews before opening to $260.1 million domestically during its first weekend in December 2021.
That release eventually generated approximately $1.9 billion worldwide, becoming one of the highest-grossing films ever released.
The new preview record demonstrates substantially stronger opening-night demand than the previous Spider-Man installment achieved during its theatrical debut.
Opening Weekend Expectations Increase Following Early Results
Earlier Studio Projections
Before release, Sony Pictures projected Spider-Man: Brand New Day to earn approximately $195 million domestically during its opening weekend and about $465 million worldwide.
Those estimates were issued before Thursday preview receipts became available.
The record-breaking preview total significantly exceeded the level typically associated with those projections, making the early performance one of the most closely watched box office developments of the year.
No revised official projection had been announced immediately following the preview results.
Comparison With Recent Major Releases
Among 2026 theatrical releases, Spider-Man: Brand New Day established a substantial lead over other major studio titles in preview earnings.
The Odyssey previously held the year’s highest preview total with approximately $17.6 million.
Toy Story 5 followed with roughly $17.5 million, while Michael opened with approximately $12.6 million in previews.
Both Toy Story 5 and Michael later surpassed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales, while The Odyssey had already crossed $700 million globally before the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
The difference between those preview totals and the $72 million earned by the latest Spider-Man film illustrates the scale of its opening-night performance.
Cast and Story Lead the Latest Spider-Man Release
Tom Holland returns as Peter Parker in the newest installment of the Spider-Man series.
Zendaya also reprises her role, while Jon Bernthal joins the principal cast alongside Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon and Mark Ruffalo.
The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.
The story follows Peter Parker after the events that left him separated from the people closest to him.
According to the official premise, Parker attempts to live a solitary life before an unseen enemy begins pursuing him. Earlier coverage also examined reports that the film features a record number of Spider-Man villains ahead of its theatrical release.
The production carries a reported budget of approximately $225 million.
The film represents the first Spider-Man theatrical release since Spider-Man: No Way Home reached cinemas in 2021.
Audience and Critical Reception Support Strong Debut
Rotten Tomatoes Scores
Early reception accompanied the film’s strong commercial opening.
At the time of release, Spider-Man: Brand New Day held a 90% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Audience response was even stronger, with a reported 98% audience score.
Those ratings were available during the opening weekend alongside the record preview earnings.
Production Budget and Release Scale
The film opened in approximately 4,300 theaters across North America, giving it one of the broadest theatrical releases of the year.
Its reported production budget of $225 million reflects the scale of the latest Spider-Man installment. Marvel’s upcoming slate also includes Avengers: Doomsday trailer details that continue to expand the studio’s theatrical lineup.
The combination of an extensive theater count, record preview revenue and strong early audience response placed the film among the year’s largest theatrical launches.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Spider-Man: Brand New Day earn in Thursday previews?
The film earned approximately $72 million in Thursday previews across North America, setting a new all-time record.
Which movie previously held the Thursday preview record?
Avengers: Endgame previously held the record with about $60 million in Thursday preview revenue.
Who stars in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?
The film stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon and Mark Ruffalo. It is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.
What is the production budget for Spider-Man: Brand New Day?
The film carries a reported production budget of approximately $225 million.
How do the preview earnings compare with Spider-Man: No Way Home?
Spider-Man: No Way Home earned approximately $50 million in Thursday previews, while Spider-Man: Brand New Day opened with a record $72 million.
