A ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Screening Turned Into Total Chaos After One Moviegoer’s Fart Cleared the Theater
Opening weekend chaos usually comes in the form of sold-out crowds, popcorn shortages, or overly enthusiastic fans quoting their favorite lines a little too loudly. What happened at one particular theater in Colombia this past weekend was an entirely different kind of disruption, and it’s the sort of story that spreads fast for all the wrong, hilarious reasons.
Amid a record-breaking global box office run, one screening managed to make headlines for reasons that had nothing to do with box office numbers or franchise lore. Sometimes the biggest movie moments happen off-screen entirely.
A screening of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘ at the Cine Colombia multiplex inside the Plaza Bocagrande shopping center in Cartagena, Colombia, was evacuated on August 2 after an overpowering, unidentified stench spread through the auditorium roughly halfway through the film. Footage circulating online showed dozens of audience members covering their faces and hurrying into the corridor, visibly desperate to escape the smell.
The chaos unfolded mid-movie, with hundreds of viewers abandoning their seats rather than sitting through the odor. Video posted by @ExxAlerts on X captured crowds streaming out of the theater, with the account describing the incident as a “horrific fart attack” that sent moviegoers running.
Theater staff never officially canceled the screening, and the multiplex’s other auditoriums continued operating normally throughout the disruption. Still, according to reports, dozens of moviegoers chose not to return to their seats even after the smell dissipated, effectively abandoning the film altogether.
The identity of the responsible party remains a mystery. Speculation has swirled online over whether the incident stemmed from a genuine bodily mishap or a deliberately planted stink bomb as a prank, though neither explanation has been officially confirmed.
Adding an unexpectedly delightful twist to the whole ordeal, a person dressed in a full Spider-Man cosplay costume appeared in the hallway amid the evacuated crowd, reportedly helping to entertain and calm displaced moviegoers while the situation sorted itself out.
Social media users have since branded the mystery culprit “the film’s real villain,” with one commenter joking, “That man is a menace,” and another remarking, “There’s no respect anymore, but I don’t think anyone is so rotten as to evacuate an entire auditorium.”
The bizarre incident comes as ‘Brand New Day’ continues its historic box office run, having already claimed the biggest opening weekend in film history with a global haul surpassing $900 million. The film, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, stars Tom Holland and Zendaya alongside new franchise additions including Sadie Sink, Jon Bernthal, and Liza Colón-Zayas.
Cinematic mishaps involving unruly audience behavior have become an increasingly common talking point in recent months, following widely shared reports of theater staff growing frustrated with disruptive moviegoers at other high-profile releases. Whatever the true cause behind Cartagena’s smelly incident, it’s already cemented itself as one of the more unforgettable footnotes in this record-setting theatrical run.
What Would You Do If A Movie Screening Was Evacuated Because Of A Terrible Smell?
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