Marvel’s Spider-Man tops India with $52.8 million

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” has overtaken “Avatar: The Way of Water” to become the highest-grossing Hollywood film ever in India, with a weekend haul of $10.6 million pushing its total to $52.8 million. The milestone, confirmed by Sony on Monday, ends the three-year reign of James Cameron’s underwater epic, which finished its run at $50.8 million.

The surge is the latest sign of India’s rapid shift toward Hollywood tentpoles, especially Marvel and animated releases, which now dominate multiplex screens. Analysts say the result reflects a sharp rise in ticket prices, premium formats such as IMAX and 4DX, and a younger audience that favors character-driven franchises over older blockbusters. India’s box-office recovery post-pandemic has also been boosted by wider releases in tier-two cities, where Spider-Man sequels have become family outings.

Weekend data show “Brand New Day” sold nearly 1.8 million tickets in India across Friday to Sunday, with south Indian markets contributing almost 40% of the gross. Sony Pictures India head Akshaye Widhani called the numbers “a clear inflection point” for how Hollywood is now monetizing the subcontinent. Trade reports note that Marvel films have increasingly tailored posters and songs to regional tastes, a strategy that paid off this time with songs from the soundtrack trending on YouTube in Tamil and Telugu.

The record underscores the growing weight of India in Hollywood’s global math. With Marvel’s next slate already scheduled for staggered Indian releases, studios are likely to double down on local marketing and dubbing budgets. Analysts expect the country to surpass the UK and become the second-biggest international market for Hollywood within two years, behind only China.