‘Coyote vs. Acme’ Takes No. 2 Box Office Spot as ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Nears ‘Avatar 2’

Late August usually marks a quiet period at the box office, a lull between the summer blockbusters and the upcoming fall awards season. However, this year, three distinct films competed for audience attention over the same weekend, resulting in one of the most unpredictable box office weekends in recent months.

Tom Holland’s ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘ maintained its stronghold at the top of the box office for the fifth consecutive weekend. Yet, the real intrigue lay in the films vying for the positions below it. A long-delayed animated comedy made an unexpected comeback, while a high-profile thriller from a renowned director stumbled upon its release.

The comeback story belongs to ‘Coyote vs. Acme,’ the Looney Tunes hybrid that Warner Bros. had previously dismissed as a tax write-off. The film premiered in second place with an estimated $15.4 million from 3,575 North American screens, following a $5.3 million opening day on Friday, marking the largest debut ever for distributor Ketchup Entertainment.

This result signifies a remarkable underdog triumph considering the film’s rocky journey to release. Warner Bros. Discovery had initially scrapped the roughly $70 million production in 2023, opting for a tax write-off before public backlash led to the sale of its rights. Ketchup Entertainment eventually acquired the film for around $50 million, and since its release, it has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, boasting a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score and an A CinemaScore from opening weekend audiences.

Director Dave Green celebrated the milestone by expressing gratitude to the fans whose support helped rescue the film from obscurity. “‘Coyote vs. Acme’ is finally, gloriously, in theaters now,” Green shared on social media, “which means one thing. WE WON.”

Sitting comfortably atop the charts, ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ added another $22 million domestically this weekend, bringing its North American total to approximately $891 million and edging closer to the unadjusted all-time domestic record of $936 million held by ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens.’ Globally, the film has now surpassed $2.33 billion, exceeding ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’s’ worldwide total and climbing to fourth place on the all-time global chart.

The clear underperformer of the weekend was ‘The Dog Stars,’ a post-apocalyptic drama directed by Ridley Scott and starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, and Margaret Qualley. The film opened in fifth place with only $8 million domestically from around 3,300 locations, adding another $11.3 million overseas, a disappointing outcome for a movie reportedly budgeted between $70 million and $100 million.

Overall, the weekend provided a striking glimpse into the unpredictability of late-summer moviegoing. A five-week-old superhero sequel remains the top draw in theaters, a once-abandoned animated comedy has found new life, and a star-studded filmmaker-driven thriller struggled to attract audiences.

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