Spider-Man Chases Avatar as Global Box Office War Heats

Spider-Man is closing the distance. After five straight weeks at No. 1, Spider-Man: Brand New Day has climbed to a staggering $2.33 billion worldwide, and now sits tantalizingly close to overtaking Avatar: The Way of Water’s 2022 haul.

In North America the film added another $22 million this week, pushing its domestic total to $891 million. That leaves it roughly $45 million shy of the all-time North American record held by Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($936 million). Can the friendly neighborhood hero bridge that gap? The race is on.

Coyote vs. Acme stole headlines this weekend, vaulting into the No. 2 spot. The Warner Animation Group release opened in 3,573 theaters with about $15.4 million and outpaced The Odyssey in the rankings. A long-delayed title with a $60 million budget, it’s enjoying unusually warm reception: Rotten Tomatoes shows 95% from critics and 94% from audiences, and CinemaScore readers awarded it an A. For Warner animation, that’s elite company — only films like The Iron Giant and The Lego Movie have hit similar notes.

The Odyssey remains a heavyweight. It brought in $14.3 million domestically this week and another $48.6 million overseas, bringing its North American total to $563.8 million and global earnings past the $1.5 billion mark. Having now eclipsed Furious 7’s $1.51 billion, the film sits as Universal’s second-biggest grosser and still needs roughly $120 million to catch Jurassic World’s studio record.

Not every release is cruising. Insidious: Out of the Further posted $10.1 million in its sophomore weekend, a roughly 60% decline from opening. Produced on an $18 million budget by Screen Gems, Stage 6, and Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, the sequel has reached about $43.6 million domestically and $110 million worldwide so far.

And then there’s The Dog Stars, a post-apocalyptic drama from 20th Century starring Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin and directed by Ridley Scott. Made for $70 million, the film stumbled out of the gate — $8 million domestically in its opening weekend and $19.8 million globally — and mixed reviews left it looking like a commercial misfire. Audiences gave it a C+ on CinemaScore; Rotten Tomatoes shows 40% from critics and 70% from viewers.

Box office figures shift fast, and this summer feels like a high-stakes relay — with Spider-Man now holding the baton and Avatar looming at the finish line.

Who will cross the tape first? Stay tuned as studios push, audiences decide, and the global totals keep rewriting the story.