Hollywood superheroes seem to be reclaiming their positions in the Chinese market, and the main driver of this comeback is "Spider-Man: A New Day."
The film premiered in China on Wednesday – two days earlier than in North America. By midday, the film had already earned over $16.5 million, and ticketing services predict first-day box office receipts of $37.4 million. This is the best start for an American comic book movie in China since "Spider-Man: Far From Home," which grossed $36 million in 2019. For comparison, "Venom: The Last Dance" in 2024 began its run with $9.4 million. Presales reached $18.6 million – the best result among foreign releases in the last three summers.
Analysts at Maoyan predict that the final box office for "A New Day" in China will reach $255 million, while the Dengta agency gives an even more optimistic forecast of $265 million. If these estimates are met, the blockbuster will surpass the result of "Avatar: The Way of Water" ($246 million) and become the highest-grossing Hollywood film in China since "Avengers: Endgame" (2019), which earned $632 million.
Such success is due to several factors. The Chinese audience missed Spider-Man films, as "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (2021) was never released locally due to censorship restrictions related to the depiction of the Statue of Liberty. Additionally, Sony and Marvel released the film in China earlier than other countries and gained access to IMAX theaters, which in the US are currently occupied by Christopher Nolan's "Odyssey." Finally, Tom Holland and Zendaya personally attended the premiere in Shanghai and revealed that Jackie Chan and his team participated in the staging of the action scenes.
The film's premiere in most countries worldwide will take place on July 31. In Russia, the film is expected from August 20.