‘Spider-Man Brand New Day’ Presales Are Exploding Overseas, and Records Are Already Falling

Chinese audiences have not always shown up for superhero movies the way Hollywood studios hope, with the genre struggling significantly in the market since the pandemic reshaped moviegoing habits worldwide. That long stretch of disappointing performances has made China one of the trickiest markets for any Marvel release to crack in recent years.

That trend appears to finally be breaking. As Tom Holland and Zendaya continue their global press tour ahead of the film’s release, early box office signals out of China suggest ‘Spider-Man Brand New Day’ could reverse years of underwhelming superhero numbers in one of the world’s most important theatrical markets.

According to Maoyan, China’s largest movie ticketing platform, advance screening and presale revenue for the film has already surpassed 30 million renminbi, or roughly $4.4 million, well ahead of its July 31 release date. That total has continued climbing through six days of advance bookings, with the film crushing pre-sale numbers set by nearly every major comic book release since 2019’s ‘Avengers: Endgame.’

Those figures put ‘Spider-Man Brand New Day’ ahead of the entire pre-sales collections posted by ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3’ in China, setting a new post-pandemic record for comic book movie advance sales. That kind of demand has some trackers projecting the film could become the first live-action Hollywood release since 2021 to cross $100 million during its opening weekend at the Chinese box office.

Much of that momentum coincides directly with Holland and Zendaya’s in-person appearances throughout the region. The pair made a splashy stop in Shanghai this week, attending an official appearance at Shanghai Film Art Center as part of the film’s broader global promotional tour, which has already carried the stars through cities including Madrid, Berlin, Rome, Paris, London and Mexico City.

Holland’s visit generated its own share of unexpected buzz beyond the film itself, after he was spotted sightseeing in Shanghai wearing a pair of denim shorts from Chinese apparel brand Semir, purchased at the company’s Yuyuan Garden flagship store. The brand quickly moved to capitalize on the moment, pushing the Holland worn item across its social media accounts and even organizing a dedicated ‘Spider-Man’ fan screening event tied to the sudden exposure.

That kind of organic cultural crossover only adds to the sense that this particular release is resonating in China well beyond typical franchise fandom. With six confirmed villains, the return of Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, and Frank Castle’s Punisher making his first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film’s scale alone has already captured significant global attention heading into release.

China represents just one piece of a much larger international rollout that has been building steadily for weeks. In India, the film has already amassed roughly Rs. 15 crore in advance ticket sales with nearly two weeks still remaining before release, according to Pinkvilla, suggesting the strong presale momentum extends well beyond a single market.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton has leaned heavily into that anticipation throughout the promotional rollout, framing the film as a potential emotional culmination point for Holland’s version of Peter Parker. Coming after the character-altering ending of ‘No Way Home,’ this next chapter finds Spider-Man navigating a world that no longer remembers him, adding real narrative stakes to match the box office hype.

With five more days of advance bookings still ahead in China and additional screenings expected to open before release, the film’s presale totals show no signs of slowing down. Given how dramatically this release has already outpaced recent comic book competition in the region, ‘Spider-Man Brand New Day’ looks poised to become one of the biggest global box office stories of the year.

What do you think about Spider-Man potentially reclaiming its box office crown in China? Share your predictions in the comments.