Spider-Man: Brand New Day tops India box office with $52.8 million

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has become the highest-grossing Hollywood film ever in India after raking in $10.6 million over its opening weekend and pushing its total to $52.8 million. The Tom Holland-Zendaya sequel took just 11 days to surpass Avatar: The Way of Water’s 2022 record, cementing its place at the top of the all-time chart for imported films in India.

The surge reflects a sharp rebound in India’s box office after years of pandemic slumps and growing competition from streaming. Hollywood releases now routinely open to $5 million–$10 million weekends in India, up from sub-$2 million pre-COVID. Local analysts say the market is recovering faster than expected thanks to new multiplexes in smaller cities, cheaper tickets, and pent-up demand after long theater closures. Spider-Man’s success also points to the Marvel brand’s enduring pull in India, where fans still turn out in big numbers even as Disney rethinks its release strategy.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day sold an estimated 1.6 million tickets in its first weekend, nearly twice as many as any other overseas film this year. Sony Pictures India called the opening “historic” and credited strong word-of-mouth and social-media buzz for the numbers. The film’s dominance comes despite a crowded slate: Deadpool & Wolverine and Furiosa also opened in the same month, yet neither topped Spider-Man’s India haul.

What happens next could shape how Hollywood treats the Indian market. If this weekend is any guide, studios will double down on wide, high-profile releases in India rather than holding back for streaming. The record also gives Sony leverage to negotiate bigger local marketing budgets and better screen placements in the future. For now, Spider-Man rules— and India’s box office is finally back in the game.