Box Office: ‘Spider-Man’ stays on top while two dino movies battle for third

Nbcwashington · 🇺🇸 public United States · Aug 16, 2026 · 745 words · By Lindsey Bahr; The Associated Press

Box Office Performance Entertainment Industry Trends

headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing

Generate a natural audio summary of this story

Daily briefing

What to know about Box Office Performance

Two very different dinosaur movies devoured a modest chunk of the North American box office this weekend, although neither came close to unseating “Spider-Man” from its perch atop the charts, nor managed to steal second place from “The Odyssey.” “Paw Patrol:…

Claims checked 24

Techniques found 1

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center100%

Right0%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

According to studio estimates on Sunday, the Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor movie had the slight edge, with a projected $21 million to the animated pups’ $20.5 million.

Common ground

Stream NBC4 newscasts for free right here, right now.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Box Office Performance story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that While this summer might not surpass 2013, which ended with just under $4.8 billion?
How does this story connect Box Office Performance with Entertainment Industry Trends over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/box-office-charts…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 24 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 14

check_circle Corroborated 8

help Insufficient Evidence 2

schedule

Claim 1: “While this summer might not surpass 2013, which ended with just under $4.8 billion”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 2: “The Matthew McConaughey crime thriller “The Rivals of Amziah King” opened outside of the top 10 with just over $1 million from 632 theaters.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 3: “The box office is strong with the summer season, now over, accounting for over $4.2 billion in ticket sales — about 5.7% ahead of the pre-pandemic summer of 2019.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 4: “Carrying a PG rating, it’s the third theatrically released Paw Patrol movie since 2021.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 5: “The opening weekend audience gave it an A CinemaScore.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 6: ““Spider-Man: Brand New Day” continues to cast its sticky web around audiences three weekends into its historic run.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the film 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' is in theaters and specifically mention its performance in its third weekend.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Brand New Day or A Brand New Day may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand_New_Day

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — "Brand New Day" is a comic book storyline in The Amazing Spider-Man, published by Marvel Comics beginning in 2008. It chronicles the start of Spider-Man's adventures in the aftermath of the status quo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand_New_Day_(comics)

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a 2026 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. Produced by Columbia Pictures, Marvel Studios, and Pascal Pictures, and distributed by Sony…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man:_Brand_New_Day

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 7: “The year overall is just under $6.9 billion.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 8: “The young Anthony Bourdain biopic “Tony,” meanwhile, made $706,676 from 37 theaters in its second weekend.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 9: “With $98 million from international showings, propelled by $36.6 million from its first few days playing in China, Christopher Nolan’s epic has now made over $1.2 billion globally.”

CORROBORATED

The film 'The Odyssey' is confirmed to be directed by Christopher Nolan and has crossed the $1.2 billion mark globally, with specific mentions of international and China earnings in the provided text.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Odyssey is a 2026 epic action fantasy film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who produced it with his wife Emma Thomas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Odyssey_(2026_film)

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Odyssey has now grossed an incredible $639.6 million worldwide after just two weekends in cinemas, including $286.4 million domestically and $353.2 million internationally.Christopher Nolan is tak…
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/why-is-the-odyssey-such-a-bi…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Odyssey IMAX breakdown (2026) — Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is the first narrative feature in history shot entirely on IMAX film cameras. Here's how they finally solved the three problems that…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL_5ZXKwpsU

check_circle

Claim 10: “The Sony Pictures release added another $70 million from theaters in the U.S. and Canada, bringing its domestic total to a staggering $785.8 million, making it the fourth-biggest domestic release ever.”

CORROBORATED

The $70 million domestic third-weekend earn is explicitly mentioned in one source, and the general trajectory of the film's massive domestic success is supported by others, though one source mentions a later total of $917.8 million.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Spider-Man: Brand New Day (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the film score to the Columbia Pictures / Marvel Studios film Spider-Man: Brand New Day composed by Michael Giacchino. The soundtrack …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man:_Brand_New_Day_(sou…

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 11: “Paul Dergarabedian, the head of marketplace trends for Rentrak, noted that the number to date is only about $130 million shy of the record 2013 summer, which was led by “Iron Man 3” and “Despicable Me 2.””

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 12: ““Avengers: Endgame” did it in 11 days in 2019. “Brand New Day” took about 18.”

CORROBORATED

The comparison between 'Avengers: Endgame' (11 days) and 'Brand New Day' (approx 17-18 days) is reported across multiple sources.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Avengers: Endgame is a 2019 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avengers:_Endgame

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jacob Andres Batalon (born October 9, 1996) is an American actor. Batalon achieved international recognition playing Ned Leeds in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) superhero films, appearing as a su…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Batalon

menu_book

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 13: “The Tamil-language romance “Vishwanath & Sons” made $1.6 million to take 10th place.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 14: “The Katseye documentary “Katseye: Wild Hearts” rounded out the top five with $4 million from only 724 screens.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 15: “It was well-received by critics and currently carries an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences gave it a less enthusiastic B CinemaScore.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found regarding the Rotten Tomatoes score or CinemaScore for 'The End of Oak Street'.

schedule

Claim 16: ““Six: The Musical Live” opened in sixth place with $3 million, followed by “The Brink of War” with $2.7 million.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 17: “According to PostTrak exit polls, just over half the opening weekend audience said they would “definitely recommend” to friends.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 18: “With $118.7 million from overseas markets, it surpassed $2 billion globally, only the eighth movie ever to achieve that landmark (not accounting for inflation) and the second-fastest to do so.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources confirm the film surpassed $2 billion globally, specifically citing the $118.7 million overseas figure and its rank as the second-fastest to reach that milestone.

menu_book

+ 3 more evidence sources

check_circle

Claim 19: ““The Odyssey,” now in its fifth weekend, also managed to stay in second with a $23.2 million weekend that pushed its domestic total to $504.7 million.”

CORROBORATED

The specific figures of $23.2 million for the fifth weekend and a domestic total of $504.7 million are explicitly reported.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Odyssey (; Ancient Greek: Ὀδύσσεια, romanized: Odýsseia [odýsseːa]) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic poem attributed to Homer. Odyssey or The Odyssey may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey_(disambiguation)

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Odyssey is a 2026 epic action fantasy film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who produced it with his wife Emma Thomas. An adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic poem the Odyssey, it st…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Odyssey_(2026_film)

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 20: “Globally, it has a running total of $69 million.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 21: ““The End of Oak Street” came in ahead of expectations with around $21 million from 3,446 locations.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the domestic opening of approximately $21 million for 'The End of Oak Street'.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In the U.S. and Canada, The End of Oak Street was released alongside Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie and The Brink of War, and was projected to gross around $20–25 million during its opening weekend.[4] In…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_Oak_Street

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In its opening weekend last week, The End of Oak Street grossed $21 million domestically. While that’s not an enormous sum of money, it was a more-than-solid initial return on investment for an origin…
https://1428elm.com/the-end-of-oak-street-becomes-reliable-s…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The End of Oak Street opened to roughly $20 million domestically, at the very bottom of Warner Bros.’ own $18–23 million forecast. It took $8.1 million on Friday including previews. Against a producti…
https://bollyflixu.com/end-of-oak-street-opening-weekend/

help

Claim 22: “The film, written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, stars McGregor and Hathaway as suburban parents in 1982 whose neighborhood is mysteriously transported to prehistoric times.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the director David Robert Mitchell or the specific plot/cast details for 'The End of Oak Street'.

check_circle

Claim 23: “It also made $26 million from international screenings, adding up to a $47 million global opening against a reported $80 million production budget.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the $47 million global opening and the production budget of approximately $80 million.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — As of September 1, 2026, The End of Oak Street has grossed $47 million in the United States and Canada, and $61 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $108 million.[6][7].
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_Oak_Street

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Still, $47 million worldwide against an $80 million production budget isn’t a bad place to start. If it holds and eventually performs well enough, maybe there’s even a sequel or some larger universe h…
https://www.dreadcentral.com/box-office/585270/the-end-of-oa…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The film received positive reviews from critics and has grossed $47 million worldwide against a production budget of $80–92 million.
https://greatentertainersarchives.blogspot.com/2026/08/recen…

schedule

Claim 24: “Family audiences showed up for “Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie,” which Paramount Pictures released in 3,545 theaters in the U.S. and Canada this weekend.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.