Sony/Marvel Studios’ “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” has completed its sweep of the month of August, holding on to the No. 1 spot for every day of the month save for last Friday’s opening day of “Insidious: Out of the Further” and earning its fifth No. 1 frame this weekend with an estimated $22 million total.
With an estimated domestic total of $891 million, the Marvel Studios film is just $43 million away from passing the unadjusted domestic total of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” to take the all time North American record.
Meanwhile, Ketchup Entertainment/Warner Animation Group’s “Coyote vs. Acme” has finally hit theaters after nearly being shelved by Warner Bros. for a tax writeoff. Released at 3,573 locations, the film earned $5.2 million on its opening day and is estimated for a $13-14 million opening weekend as it contends with the seventh weekend of Universal’s “The Odyssey” for the No. 2 spot.
Ketchup paid a hefty sum of $50 million to acquire “Coyote vs. Acme,” but the film’s notoriety among animation lovers for its behind-the-scenes turbulence has made it the indie distributor’s largest opening weekend ever, more than quadruple the previous record of $3.1 million set by fellow “Looney Tunes” acquisition “The Day the Earth Blew Up” in March 2025.
The film is also getting rave reviews from both critics and audiences, earning Rotten Tomatoes scores of 94% critics and 97% audience and becoming the first “Looney Tunes” theatrical feature ever to earn an A on CinemaScore. In fact, only two other Warner Bros.-produced animated features have ever earned that CinemaScore grade: “The Iron Giant” in 1998 and “The Lego Movie” in 2014.
It’s practically unheard of for a family film with word-of-mouth this strong to come out at the end of the summer, but that is where “Coyote vs. Acme” finds itself. As kids head back to school, we will see if families discover this title in the weeks ahead.
It’s far less likely that an audience will build for 20th Century’s “The Dog Stars,” which is bombing fast amid poor reviews with an estimated $7 million opening weekend after making just $2.8 million from 3,330 locations. Ridley Scott’s latest film starring Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin has left critics unimpressed with a 39% Rotten Tomatoes score while audience scores stand at 70% and a C+ on CinemaScore.
More to come…