Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day has delivered the biggest opening weekend in Nigerian box office history, grossing over N700.5 million including previews and immediately resetting the benchmark for theatrical releases in the country.

The film earned N589.7 million between July 31 and August 2, bringing its cumulative total to N705.7 million after opening with a record N120 million in advance screenings, a performance BusinessDay reported last week before the film’s nationwide release.

Its debut has broken multiple records at once. It now holds the biggest opening weekend ever recorded in Nigeria, the highest single weekend gross in the market’s history and has already become the sixth highest-grossing Hollywood film of all time in Anglophone West Africa after only one weekend in cinemas.

The scale of the opening has also created an unusual comparison with Nollywood’s biggest success of the year. Call of My Life, currently the highest-grossing Nigerian film released in 2026, added another N11.2 million in its 12th weekend to reach N837.4 million. At its current pace, Spider-Man: Brand New Day could surpass that figure before the end of its second weekend, effectively matching nearly three months of earnings for Nollywood’s biggest title in less than two weeks.

The weekend chart reflected the strength of Hollywood releases. The Odyssey remained second with N84.1 million despite a 42 percent decline, lifting its cumulative total to N508.5 million in its third weekend. The Return of Omotora Johnson placed third with N14.2 million and N111.6 million overall after four weekends. Call of My Life ranked fourth, while Moana completed the top five with N6.4 million and N102.5 million cumulatively.

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The latest figures could also reshape the competitive balance between Hollywood and Nollywood in 2026. Earlier this year, BusinessDay examined how both industries were running almost neck and neck at the Nigerian box office, with market share hovering around an even split after

Nollywood’s strong start to the year.
Spider-Man’s record opening, however, has significantly strengthened Hollywood’s position heading into the second half of the year. With Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday still scheduled for release in December, the international studios have another major blockbuster capable of delivering record admissions during the festive season. If current trends continue and Nollywood does not produce more large-scale commercial hits over the coming months, Hollywood could finish the year with a commanding lead in cinema revenue.

Spider-Man is also climbing rapidly through the all-time Hollywood rankings in Nigeria and West Africa. Having already reached sixth place on the all-time grossing list after one weekend, and beating its predecessor Spider-Man: No Way Home in one weekend, it is expected to move into the top five this week by overtaking Sinners and Black Panther. If it maintains normal second-weekend holds for major Marvel releases, it should surpass “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” next weekend to become the highest-grossing Hollywood film in Nigeria ever, before challenging Funke Akindele’s Nollywood billion-naira trio later in its run.

A finish above N1 billion now appears increasingly likely, while a total between N1.5billion and N2 billion would place it among the biggest theatrical releases ever seen in the market.

For Nollywood, the latest numbers present another challenge rather than a crisis. Over the past 18 months, local filmmakers have repeatedly demonstrated that audiences will turn out for compelling local stories, with several productions rewriting domestic box office records and narrowing Hollywood’s long-held advantage.

The question now is whether the industry can respond once again. With more major Hollywood titles still to come before the end of the year, particularly Avengers: Doomsday, Nollywood’s next wave of releases will determine whether 2026 ends as another year of local resilience or one in which Hollywood reclaims clear dominance at the Nigerian box office.

Anthony Udugba is a seasoned entertainment business journalist at BusinessDay Media, boasting over four years of experience in the creative industry. With a proven track record of delivering insightful analysis and in-depth coverage, he leverages industry data, expert opinions, and stakeholder insights to craft compelling stories that shed light on the dynamic creative ecosystem.