‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Surpasses ‘Shrek 2’ in Domestic Ticket Sales

Box office achievements have become almost routine for Tom Holland’s latest solo film, as it continues to break records months after its release. Few movies in recent times have maintained this level of success for as long as ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ has since its debut in late July.

The film’s dominance began almost immediately, breaking the all-time domestic opening weekend record with $360 million, surpassing ‘Avengers: Endgame’s previous record of $357 million set in 2019. The momentum hardly slowed, with the film reaching $2 billion globally in just seventeen days, marking one of the fastest climbs to that milestone in box office history.

In another significant achievement, ‘Brand New Day’ has now overtaken ‘Shrek 2’ in estimated domestic ticket sales, placing the Tom Holland-led sequel among the top 10 biggest ticket sellers in American box office history. This comparison is noteworthy, considering how dominant DreamWorks’ 2004 sequel was during its time, having sold around 71 million tickets domestically during its original run and holding the second-biggest opening weekend at the time, only behind the original ‘Spider-Man’.

Additionally, ‘Brand New Day’ has climbed the superhero rankings, recently surpassing Sam Raimi’s original 2002 ‘Spider-Man’ to secure seventh place on the all-time list of most-attended superhero movies domestically. With its momentum still growing, the film is on track to exceed ‘Avengers: Endgame’s domestic total, potentially positioning it for the number two spot on the all-time domestic chart, only behind ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’.

This staying power reflects the film’s broader critical and commercial success. ‘Brand New Day’ currently boasts a 90 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and an A CinemaScore rating from opening weekend audiences, indicating that its box office performance is not just a result of initial hype, but a genuine and sustained enthusiasm.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the film takes place four years after the events of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, following Peter Parker as he navigates life alone after erasing himself from the memories of those he loves. As his crime-fighting duties take a toll, a strange new wave of crimes emerges, presenting one of the most formidable threats he has ever faced, which drives much of the film’s central conflict.

The film’s ongoing success at the box office is particularly impressive given the competitive landscape of 2026 releases, with ‘Toy Story 5’, ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, and ‘Michael’ all surpassing the billion-dollar mark earlier this year. This crowded field makes ‘Brand New Day’s sustained success even more remarkable, especially as it approaches a potential showdown with ‘Avengers: Endgame’ for the all-time domestic runner-up position, particularly with Endgame’s own re-release possibly boosting its final tally.

As ‘Brand New Day’ continues to rewrite box office expectations, surpassing a beloved animated classic like ‘Shrek 2’ in ticket sales feels like just another record in its growing list of achievements. Whether it can climb even higher on the all-time charts remains one of the most intriguing box office stories unfolding this year.

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