‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ and ‘The Odyssey’ Power Biggest Collective Weekend in Box Office History With $430 Million

A powerful one-two punch from “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “The Odyssey” has fueled the biggest collective weekend in box office history, with roughly $430 million across all movies in the marketplace.

Lollapalooza 2026 Day Three: Olivia Dean, Sienna Spiro, and Rain Delays

Lolla 2026

Grammy winner Dean celebrated breaking a U.K. chart record with surprise guest Sam Fender

Rain that flooded Chicago overnight and continued to fall on Saturday delayed the third day of Lollapalooza 2026 and caused organizers to push back doors by about three hours for cleanup. The downpours caused pooling throughout Grant Park where the festival is held. By the time it opened at 3 p.m., the grounds were understandably muddy, but navigable for attendees.

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Swings to Mind-Blowing $355 Million Debut, Second-Biggest Opening Weekend in Box Office History

With great power comes truly heroic ticket sales.

Sony and Marvel‘s comic book adventure “Brand New Day” obliterated box office expectations, collecting a jaw-dropping $355 million from 4,487 North American theaters. It’s the second-biggest debut in domestic box office history, following 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” with $357 million, not adjusted for inflation. “Brand New Day” could end up eclipsing the all-time record if Monday’s final tally lands above estimates. No other films have ever come close to surpassing $300 million in a single weekend. The third-largest domestic opening belongs to 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” with $260 million, followed by 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War” with $257 million. Yes, Marvel Studios now boasts the four largest openings of all time at the domestic box office.

Gavin Newsom Reportedly Concerned About State Antitrust Suit Against Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

Governor Gavin Newsom is concerned about the antitrust lawsuit filed by 12 state attorneys general led by California against Paramount‘s $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, and what it will mean for the entertainment industry, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Sopranos Actor Vincent Pastore Dead at 80

Updated

: Aug 1, 2026 9:41pm UTC

Vincent Pastore, the actor best known for playing Salvatore Bonpensiero in the groundbreaking TV series The Sopranos, has died at 80.

Elden Ring Fans Are Getting Their Hopes Up for More DLC After FromSoftware Shares Cryptic Post on Social Media

Updated

: Aug 1, 2026 10:08pm UTC

It's been two years since FromSoftware released its Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, but a new post from the developer has some fans believing that even more Elden Ring DLC is on the way.

‘Wild Inside’ Review: The Story of the Central Park Owl Becomes a Moving and Haunting Documentary

“Wild Inside” is an enchanting movie, and a haunting one too. It’s a documentary about Flaco, the owl who escaped from the Central Park Zoo and spent a year living in the wilds of New York City. Since that story was widely covered when it happened in 2023, turning Flaco into an international media sensation, you might think: Why do I need to see a documentary about it?

Netflix’s New Releases Coming in August 2026

A potty-mouthed project from Ricky Gervais; Wagner Moura and Greta Lee trapped indoors; a behind-the-memes look at Jose Mourinho; a third season of Shane Gillis’ popular workplace comedy; a return to the Field of Dreams; a helping of Aussie period drama; the final chapter of OBX; and a star-studded crime thriller top-lined by Robert De Niro are among the new film and TV highlights to hit Netflix in August.

Brent Lang Named Editor-in-Chief of IndieWire

Variety‘s Brent Lang has been named the new editor-in-chief of IndieWire, effective August 17.

Based in New York City, Lang will report to Jerry Ruiz, senior vice president, operations & finance, PMC. A widely respected journalist and editor, Lang brings a distinctive combination of editorial leadership, industry expertise, and a deep commitment to ambitious, high-quality storytelling to IndieWire.

Mahershala Ali Calls Out Marvel for Not Making ‘Blade’: ‘You Had Me Under Contract. They Have Billions of Dollars. If They Wanted to Do It, We Would’ve Done It’

As most Marvel fans know by now, Mahershala Ali was announced to star in a “Blade” movie during a flashy, surprise Comic-Con appearance in 2019, but the movie didn’t get made. The two-time Oscar winner never appeared in live-action as the popular vampire-hunting anti-hero, despite Marvel Studios hiring director Bassam Tariq, and later Yann Demange, to helm the film.