Spider-Man and The Odyssey Drive Record Summer Box Office
Two summer blockbusters starring Tom Holland and Zendaya have propelled the US box office to its biggest summer season ever, with global hits also boosting
The US box office recorded its biggest summer season in history, taking $4.761 billion from May 1 to September 7. The record was driven primarily by two blockbusters starring the recently married actors Tom Holland and Zendaya.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey were the key titles behind the season's success, which narrowly surpassed the previous 2013 record of $4.756 billion. Globally, Spider-Man has earned $2.4 billion so far, while The Odyssey has taken $1.6 billion.
Standout Performers
Destin Daniel Cretton's Spider-Man: Brand New Day proved to be a particular surprise in its breadth of success. It is the best-performing film of the year so far and the third highest-grossing film of all time. Its opening weekend was the second-best ever, behind only Avengers: Endgame. The film also became the second-fastest to gross $1 billion worldwide, achieving the feat in just six days.
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is distinguished as the highest-grossing "original" movie of the year, despite being an adaptation of Homer's epic poem. It was joined by lower-budget original horror films in drawing audiences. The success of these films contrasted with several underperforming sequels and spinoffs.
| Film | Worldwide Gross (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Spider-Man: Brand New Day | $2.4 billion |
| The Odyssey | $1.6 billion |
| Toy Story 5 | Over $1 billion |
| Michael | Over $1 billion |
| The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Over $1 billion |
| Backrooms | $394 million |
| Obsession | $513 million |
| Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu | $345.4 million |
| Supergirl | $126.4 million |
| Minions & Monsters | $518.1 million |
Global Cinema Recovery
The record-breaking summer was not confined to the United States. According to the UK Cinema Association, cinema admissions in the UK for August rose 56% year-on-year to over 17 million. This marked the biggest August since 2018 and the second-best performing month since July 2023.
The recovery was even more pronounced across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Data from Gower Street and the International Union of Cinemas shows the region experienced an 88% year-on-year increase in admissions. France recorded 19.9 million admissions in August, its best for that month in 46 years of records and a 50% increase from August 2025.
Regional Highlights
Italy reported its best-ever June-August period, with 20.8 million admissions generating €162.3 million, as well as its best August on record. Spain saw a 71% year-on-year increase in admissions, while the Netherlands recorded a 77% lift. These figures signal a strong resurgence for cinemas worldwide following the challenges of recent years.
The overall picture, according to the source report in The Guardian, is one of a box office revitalized by a mix of superhero spectacle and original storytelling. The performance of films like Backrooms and Obsession suggests audiences are also supporting fresh concepts beyond established franchises. The final global tally for Spider-Man: Brand New Day is still expected to climb higher.
