By Variety | Created at 2026-08-12 17:56:24 | Updated at 2026-08-12 21:13:30
5 hours ago
Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor and a pack of rogue dinosaurs won’t be able to catch the web-slinging Spider-Man at the top of box office charts.
Sony and Marvel’s comic book juggernaut “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is poised to dominate in North America during its third weekend of release. That’s despite five new nationwide releases: the Warner Bros. sci-fi mystery “The End of Oak Street” with Hathaway and McGregor, Paramount’s animated sequel “PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie,” Black Bear’s crime thriller “The Rivals of Amziah King” starring Matthew McConaughey, Neon’s stoner comedy “The Wrong Girls” led by Kristen Stewart, the Angel Studios historical drama “The Brink of War.”
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” could earn another $65 million to $70 million over the weekend, a roughly 55% decline. After just 12 days on the big screen, the Tom Holland-led adventure is already the highest-grossing movie of the year with $671 million domestically and $1.68 billion globally. With breathless hype and repeat viewings galore, the superhero sequel will cross $2 billion worldwide at a near-record pace. It’s especially significant considering only seven films ever — “Avatar,” “Avengers: Endgame” and “Titanic” among them — have surpassed that benchmark during their theatrical runs. It’ll be Hollywood’s first $2 billion blockbuster since 2022’s “Avatar: The Way of Water.”
“The End of Oak Street” is targeting the biggest debut among newcomers, with projections ranging from $20 million to $30 million from 3,400 theaters. Warner Bros. is offering an estimate of $18 million to $23 million domestically, as well as $20 million to $25 million overseas. The movie carries a budget above $80 million, so positive word-of-mouth will be crucial to ensure that “Oak Street” remains a draw through August. David Robert Mitchell wrote and directed the PG-13 survival thriller, which follows a mysterious cosmic event that transports a suburban family to prehistoric times. “End of Oak Street” is the third big movie this summer to star Hathaway, who also leads “The Odyssey” and “The Devil Wears Prada 2.” And her year of box office domination will continue with October’s thriller “Verity.”
Another primeval adventure of sorts, “PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie” is aiming for $20 million from 3,500 North American theaters. Those estimates are similar to the prior “PAW Patrol” sequel, 2023’s “The Mighty Movie,” which ignited to $22 million and eventually climbed to $205 million globally against a $30 million budget. “The Dino Movie” carries a slightly larger $40 million price tag, which was split between Paramount and Spin Master.
“The Dino Movie” launched last weekend at the international box office, where the kid-friendly movie has generated $27.5 million to date. Beyond the box office, “PAW Patrol” remains a consumer products juggernaut. The franchise, based on the popular Nickelodeon television series about rescue pups, has generated more than $14 billion in global retail sales since 2014.
“PAW Patrol” could benefit from pent-up demand since there hasn’t been a movie aimed at youngsters since “Minions & Monsters” in early July. With “The Dino Movie” catering to pre-schoolers and their parents, “The Wrong Girls,” “The Rivals of Amziah King” and “The Brink of War” are hoping to serve as counter-programming for older crowds. All three films are targeting single-digit debuts.
“The Wrong Girls,” which opens in 510 locations, stars Stewart and Alia Shawkat as two codependent best friends who get caught up in a case of mistaken identity after getting high. Stewart’s wife Dylan Meyer wrote and directed the movie in her feature debut.
The Rivals of Amziah King,” also landing on about 500 screens, follows McConaughey as a honeymaker and born-again Christian whose former foster daughter reappears in his life. It’s the sophomore feature from director Andrew Patterson.
“The Brink of War” is playing on 2,000 screens over the weekend. Set during the Reykjavík Summit of 1986, the movie stars Jeff Daniels as Ronald Reagan as he races against time to salvage a deal with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev (Jared Harris) to dismantle nuclear arsenals.
Elsewhere, “The Odyssey” could add $17 million to $20 million in its fifth weekend on the big screen. Universal’s big-budget adaptation of Homer’s original epic has generated $466 million in North America and $1.11 billion globally. It’s the second-biggest movie of the year, following “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” as well as Christopher Nolan’s highest-grossing release of all time, ahead of 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises” with $1.08 billion (not adjusted for inflation).
Thanks to “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” “The Odyssey” and other blockbusters, the summer box office has eclipsed $4 billion for just the second time since the pandemic. With a few weeks until Labor Day and a smattering of new releases to come, it’ll easily wind up as the biggest popcorn season since 2019.
