As we write this, Spider-Man: Brand New Day has become the third-highest-grossing film of all time. With over $2.335 billion gross worldwide, the fourth solo Tom Holland Spidey film has now out-earned all Marvel films bar one - Avengers: Endgame. Many argue that this windfall is a result of Brand New Day releasing ahead of Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel’s tentpole for later this year. But the makers of the Sony-Marvel joint production feel that Spider-Man has enough legs to stand on its own, and if anything, it may have helped Doomsday with its stupendous run.
Shony Panjikaran on Brand New Day's success
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is on the cusp of crossing ₹500 crore net ( ₹600 crore gross) in India. It is already the highest-grossing Hollywood film in India, beating Avengers: Endgame’s $61 million mark. Brand New Day has earned $65 million and counting. Talking about this run, Shony Panjikaran, General Manager & Head of Sony Pictures Releasing International, India, says, “I don't think we had a timeline in mind. We just knew we had a wonderful film. I think Destin (the director) did a great job with this one after No Way Home (the previous Spider-Man film). We knew it was going to be big. We knew we would be ahead of all the other Hollywood films. It's just that we didn't know that it would be so soon.”
But Shony reiterates that their goal was for Spider-Man: Brand New Day to become the highest-grossing non-Indian film in India, and they were confident they could achieve it. “We just knew that by the end of the run we could be number one, but yes, it's a pleasant surprise for us,” he says.
{{/usCountry}}But Shony reiterates that their goal was for Spider-Man: Brand New Day to become the highest-grossing non-Indian film in India, and they were confident they could achieve it. “We just knew that by the end of the run we could be number one, but yes, it's a pleasant surprise for us,” he says.
{{/usCountry}}Shony also does not subscribe to the theory that Brand New Day’s success is due to the hype for Avengers: Doomsday, which releases in December. “It's the other way round, I feel. I don't think we have got anything from the other film that you mentioned (Doomsday). I think that film will benefit from us. I think Spider-Man, to be honest, is a big brand in India, and we saw that,” he reasons.
All about the film
Part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Brand New Day stars Tom Holland as Spider-Man, aka Peter Parker, and also brings back Zendaya as MJ and Jacob Batalon as Ned. The film sees Peter Parker living entirely on his own as Spider-Man in a world that doesn't remember him. Amid the mounting pressure of seeing his old friends move on without him, Spider-Man comes across new dangers with the entrance of villains. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the film also stars Sadie Sink, Mark Ruffalo, and Jon Bernthal in pivotal roles.