Box Office Roundup: ‘Spider-Man’ Closes in on $900M, ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ Scores a Stellar Debut, and ‘The Dog Stars’ Can’t Catch a Break

Late summer box office weekends can be notoriously unpredictable, but this one is shaping up to be a genuine tale of contrasts. Between a Marvel juggernaut refusing to slow down, an unlikely underdog comeback story, and a star-studded misfire, this weekend’s results offer a little bit of everything for box office watchers.

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ continues to dominate the conversation, holding onto the top spot for a fifth consecutive weekend as its domestic total inches toward a genuinely staggering milestone. The film is closing in on $900 million domestically, a number few blockbusters manage to reach even during their opening month, let alone this deep into their theatrical run.

That kind of staying power has become the defining story of the summer, but this weekend’s real surprise came from an entirely different corner of the marketplace. ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ delivered a solid debut weekend haul of roughly $14 million, pairing that strong opening with an A CinemaScore, the best audience grade any Looney Tunes movie has ever received.

That combination of box office performance and audience approval makes ‘Coyote vs. Acme’s’ theatrical rollout feel like a genuine vindication for a film that nearly never reached audiences at all. After Warner Bros. Discovery infamously shelved the completed movie back in 2023 for a tax write-off, Ketchup Entertainment’s decision to rescue the project and push it toward release now looks like a savvy bet that’s paying off.

Not every new release found similar success, though. Ridley Scott’s post-apocalyptic drama ‘The Dog Stars,’ led by Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin, struggled significantly out of the gate, landing well behind both ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ in the weekend rankings.

The film’s soft performance comes despite a notable cast and Scott’s legendary directing pedigree, underscoring just how difficult this particular late-August window has proven for original, adult-skewing theatrical releases. With a reported production budget running well into nine figures, ‘The Dog Stars’ now faces an uphill climb toward recouping its costs, particularly given the film’s mixed critical reception heading into release.

For ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ meanwhile, this weekend’s continued dominance reinforces just how remarkable its overall theatrical run has become. Few films manage to hold onto the top box office spot this many weeks into release, especially with fresh competition entering the marketplace, making its approach toward the $900 million domestic mark all the more impressive.

Taken together, this weekend’s results offer a fitting snapshot of where the box office currently stands heading into fall. Established franchise power continues to dominate, nostalgic underdog stories can still capture genuine audience goodwill when executed well, and even legendary directorial pedigree isn’t always enough to guarantee a strong opening in today’s increasingly selective theatrical marketplace.

With ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ still going strong and ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ riding a wave of positive word of mouth, the coming weeks should reveal just how much further both films can climb. ‘The Dog Stars,’ meanwhile, will need considerably stronger holds in the weeks ahead if it hopes to avoid becoming one of the more notable box office disappointments of the year.

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