Tom Holland has officially swung past the galaxy far, far away-and Hollywood may never look at Spider-Man the same way again.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day has reportedly earned $936.77 million at the domestic box office, overtaking Star Wars: The Force Awakens to become the highest-grossing movie in North American history. After weeks of record-breaking ticket sales, the superhero sequel finally claimed the crown that The Force Awakens had held for years.
Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chairman Tom Rothman celebrated the milestone in an emotional email to employees, calling it one of those rare "moments that make history."
"Last night, somewhere in the broad expanse of North America, some lucky soul purchased a ticket to Spider-Man: Brand New Day that made it the highest grossing film in the history of our country," Rothman wrote.
That mystery moviegoer had no idea that one ticket was about to push Tom Holland over one of the biggest films ever released.
Rothman thanked the executives, filmmakers and cast members responsible for the blockbuster, reserving special praise for Holland, whom he described as Sony's "long-time partner" and a "fabulously talented" actor. He also reminded staff that the movie business is not always this glamorous.
"The movie business will knock you around," he admitted. "So please take a beat today and savor the feeling. Number one of all time. Pretty darn cool."
The victory is especially sweet for Sony because Brand New Day had already surpassed Holland's previous superhero smash, Spider-Man: No Way Home. That 2021 film earned approximately $814.8 million domestically and $1.92 billion worldwide, becoming Sony's biggest global release at the time.
Now Holland has reportedly broken his own studio record while also sending Star Wars tumbling into second place domestically. According to Rothman, Brand New Day has also become the third-highest-grossing movie of all time worldwide.
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the latest Spider-Man adventure reunites Holland and Zendaya for another darker chapter in Peter Parker's life. Their on-screen chemistry-and the intense public interest surrounding their off-screen relationship-has only added to the film's enormous cultural pull.
For Holland, the achievement confirms that his version of Peter Parker is no longer merely borrowing the Spider-Man suit from earlier stars. He has become the face of the most commercially successful chapter in the franchise's history.
The headline is also a major boost for the superhero genre, which has faced persistent questions about audience fatigue. Moviegoers may be more selective than they once were, but Brand New Day proves that they will still turn up in historic numbers when the right character, cast and story come together.
There is something fitting about Peter Parker-the ordinary young man repeatedly crushed by responsibility, loss and impossible choices-becoming Hollywood's newest box-office champion. His story has always insisted that greatness is measured not only by power but by what someone chooses to do with it.
For Sony, however, the message is much simpler: Spider-Man is now number one, and even the Force could not stop him.
