Sizzling Summer: Spider-ssey and Family Favourites Sweep July to Epic $3.9bn Global box office

Aug 8, 2026

It’s been a good month at the box office for the husband and wife team of Tom Holland and Zendaya, and indeed Jon Bernthal. The trio all appear in Christopher Nolan’s epic THE ODYSSEY which led Global box office in July before SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY swung into markets for the final two-three days of the month. Between them the two blockbusters generated $1.32 billion within July. The two films represent more than one third (34%) of the Global box office tally for July which stands at $3.9 billion.

The July success continues the high levels of success seen at the global box office over the past few months. The International (excluding China) and Domestic markets-combined delivered $3.16 billion, beating the average of the last three pre-pandemic years (2017-2019) for July by +1.9%. With China included the total Global result stood just -1.2% short of the pre-pandemic average.

The Global year to date now stands at $20.49 billion. This is +3% ahead of the same point in time in 2025, although it falls slightly short of 2023 (-4%) and is -15% behind the pre-pandemic average. However, excluding China this year’s Domestic and International result for the first seven months (a combined $17.2bn) comes in over +6% ahead of 2023 and a softer -9% behind the 2017-2019 average.

GBOT July 2026

Top Titles

While THE ODYSSEY and SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY led business in July, the pair were well supported, especially by family titles enjoying access to family audiences with school holidays in play in many markets.

Christopher Nolan’s epic debuted in its first markets on July 15, delivering approximately $838 million by month-end – by far the biggest result of the month. The success also helped Universal become the first studio to cross the $4 billion mark at the Global box office in 2026, which it achieved on Sunday August 2. Earlier in the month on July 12, MICHAEL, which Universal handled internationally (Lionsgate released the film in the Domestic market), had become the second 2026-release to cross $1 billion in Global box office. The first had been Universal’s THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE. THE ODYSSEY is certain to become the 5th (more on the other two below). By the time it concludes what is expected to be an appropriately epic run the film will be the biggest box office success of Nolan’s career ahead of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES ($1.085bn).

SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY may have only played the final three days of the month but its colossal success made that enough to grab the #2 spot among the month’s top titles. The web-slinger made off with $481.3 million through July 31 on its way to a Domestic opening weekend record of $360.1 million and a #2 of all-time Global opening of $932 million through August 2. On Monday August 3, only its 6th day in release, the film became the 4th 2026-release to cross $1 billion and the second fastest title ever to do so, after 2019’s AVENGERS: ENDGAME.

Third for the month at the Global box office was another Universal title, Illumination’s MINIONS & MONSTERS. Having released in a few markets the last week of June, the animated hit launched across most of the world at the start of July (Japan is still to come in August) delivering approximately $433 million within the month for a global total of just over $440 million by July 31. Narrowly behind MINIONS & MONSTERS in July was June family-holdover TOY STORY 5. The Disney-Pixar title added approximately $427.5 million in July to bring its global total to $1.05 billion, having become the third 2026-release to cross the $1 billion mark on July 26.

The return of Chinese superstar multi-hyphenate Stephen Chow with KUNG FU SOCCER, which released in China on July 11, scored the last spot in the global top 5 for July with $305.2 million. KUNG FU SOCCER begins its roll-out into other markets in August.

At 6th Globally was Disney’s live action MOANA. Having begun its box office journey on July 8, the film had grossed $251 million by month-end. Meanwhile horror smash OBSESSION continued to impress in its third month in release. The film added nearly $94 million in July for an outstanding cume of $470 million. With China only having released the film on July 24, taking $11.1 million by month-end, and seeing the film drop just -4% in week-2, and with Taiwan and South Korea to come in August and September, respectively, global audiences’ obsession with OBSESSION may yet take the film north of $500 million.

Domestic

July was the third consecutive $1 billion-grossing month this year for the Domestic market. The $1.19 billion result was +10% up on June’s result and surpassed July 2025 by +4%. It was, however, unable to match July 2023’s $1.36 billion.

The result brought the Domestic total to just shy of $6 billion ($5.96bn). This is the best result of the current decade, finishing +13% ahead of 2025 at the same stage and even +2% ahead of the decade’s previous best (2023). It remains -16% behind the pre-pandemic three-year average, although that gap continued to narrow having stood at -18% just a month earlier.

The five US titles driving global box office success were also responsible for the strong Domestic results. All five crossed $100 million, one more than in June, and like June one of those went on to surpass $300 million. THE ODYSSEY was easily #1 with a massive $358.3 million taken in July – the biggest single-month tally for a title since April’s SUPER MARIO GALAXY ($390.6m).

SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY officially opened on the final day of the month though that, including Thursday sneaks, was enough to land the film at #2 for July with $169.8 million. That put it ahead of MINIONS & MONSTERS’ $164.1 million. TOY STORY 5 added $135.1 million in July, taking its Domestic cume to $457.3 million – a franchise best. MOANA also crossed $100m, bringing in $111 million.

International Box Office (Excluding China)

The International box office (excluding China) recorded the third month in a row performing above the pre-pandemic benchmark with $1.98 billion. It is only the fifth time this decade it has happened. It’s +6% is the third best, only behind this May (+12%) and July 2023 (+7%).

Seventeen of the top 20 international markets tracked showed year-on-year growth for July, while the top 11 tracked markets surpassed their pre-pandemic-average benchmarks.

THE ODYSSEY again came in #1 internationally with approximately $480 million within the month, ahead of SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY’s $311.5 million.

The July result brings the year-total for International (excluding China) to $11.2 billion. This is +16% ahead of 2025 at the same stage, +8% ahead of 2023, and only -5% behind the pre-pandemic (2017-2019) average.

Fourteen of the top 20 International markets are tracking ahead of 2025 after seven months, with another two (Japan and UAE) both on par with last year. Both Japan and UAE, however, are among the five International markets currently tracking ahead of the pre-pandemic three-year average (Spain is, additionally, on par).

China

After seeing no titles cross $100 million in China in June, July brought two. As mentioned above KUNG FU SOCCER kicked off with $305.2 million, while local animated fantasy title ALL WISHES COME TRUE!, released July 24, claimed $145.4 million within the month.

The local boost helped China to its best box office month since the Chinese New Year-fuelled February, with $731 million. This was a much-needed +207% rise on June’s weak results and was a +22% improvement on July 2025. However, it remained -13% behind the 2017-2019 average and was a hefty -43% below the record July of 2023 ($1.28bn), when four local titles topped $150 million with three of those above $200 million.

With just three-days on release SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY was at #3 with $70.4 million – already making it the biggest new-release import movie of 2026! The second biggest new-release import of the year was another July release: MINIONS & MONSTERS, which ranked 4th in China for the month with $44.1 million. As with SPIDER-MAN, China is the #1 international market for the latest MINIONS, more than doubling the next biggest market (France). The result has also already outperformed 2022’s THE RISE OF GRU ($35m) in the market.

The July result took China’s year-to-date box office to $3.29 billion, still the second worst result of the post-pandemic years only ahead of 2022 (+8%). The market stands -33% behind the same point last year and -36% behind the three-year average (ranking 19th).

Outlook

A strong July continued the positive trend for the Domestic and International (excluding China) box office. With SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY only at the start of its success heading into August and THE ODYSSEY looking set for a long-run (with Korean and Chinese releases also set for August), the coming month (and indeed months) already looks set for box office success even before we consider new-release titles.

For its own part an improved July in China and the promising start for the SPIDER-MAN movie (it grossed over $140m in its first week on release) could also bode well as other import titles, such as THE ODYSSEY, look to compete with local content.

August also brings an array of titles for audiences of all ages. From family and horror franchise entries PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE and INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER, to adult-skewed comedies ONE NIGHT ONLY and SPA WEEKEND, and Jason Statham actioner MUTINY to the JJ Abrams-produced sci-fi THE END OF OAK STREET, and Ridley Scott’s latest THE DOG STARS, there’s plenty on offer outside of the dominating super- and Greek mythological-heroes.