Last week brought several major developments across Hollywood, from a summer box-office surge led by Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey to Marvel’s growing X-Men cast ahead of D23.
On the other hand, Paramount’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery cleared a major regulatory hurdle in the UK but continued to face legal challenges in the US.
Spider-Man and The Odyssey Push Summer Box Office Toward $4 Billion
The 2026 domestic summer box office is on track to cross $4 billion, with trade analysts expecting the milestone to be reached today. According to Rentrak data, the summer total was roughly $700 million short of the all-time record of $4.755 billion set in 2013.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day has emerged as the biggest driver of the surge. The film’s domestic total reached $655 million, representing 71.4% of the weekend’s estimated domestic box office. It crossed $1 billion globally in six days and became the highest-grossing film of 2026.
Its 10-day domestic haul of $655 million also surpassed Avengers: Endgame, which earned $621.2 million during the same period. Premium large-format auditoriums and expanded IMAX bookings accounted for more than 33% of the film’s box-office revenue. Worldwide, Spider-Man: Brand New Day passed $1.67 billion, becoming the second-fastest film to cross $1 billion at the international box office alone.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey also crossed the $1 billion mark globally last week, giving the summer another major theatrical success. The film is set for another significant expansion on August 14, when it opens in China with IMAX preparing a rollout across nearly 800 screens.
Marvel’s X-Men Reboot Takes Shape Ahead of D23
Marvel Studios’ long-awaited standalone X-Men reboot moved closer to production this week as several major casting developments emerged ahead of Disney’s D23 convention. Jake Schreier, who directed Thunderbolts, is expected to direct the film. Sadie Sink has already debuted as Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, while Samara Weaving was confirmed as Emma Frost.
On Thursday, Deadline reported that Kit Connor had been cast as Cyclops, beating out Cooper Hoffman and Drew Starkey. The Hollywood Reporter subsequently reported that Christopher Abbott and Tom Pelphrey had recently screen-tested for the role of Charles Xavier.
Other names continue to circulate the project. Charles Melton has been linked to Beast, Cailee Spaeny to Rogue, and Adam Driver has reportedly been considered for Mister Sinister or Sebastian Shaw. Edgar Moura has also expressed interest in playing Mister Sinister.
The film is expected to arrive in 2028, following Avengers: Secret Wars in December 2027. With D23 taking place this weekend, Marvel is expected to provide additional information about the project.
Jonathan Majors Returns in Controversial Run Hide Fight: Infidels
Jonathan Majors returned to the screen last week with the first trailer for Run Hide Fight: Infidels, marking his first filmed role since his 2023 conviction for assault and harassment.
The $5 million action thriller, written and directed by Kyle Rankin, is a standalone sequel to The Daily Wire’s 2020 film Run Hide Fight. Majors plays Clayton Saunders, a retired Delta Force captain who attempts to reclaim a college campus seized by terrorists.
The trailer quickly generated controversy across social media because of its politically charged premise and imagery. The footage incorporates 9/11 archival material and depicts fictionalized violence surrounding college protests and terrorism. Produced by Bonfire Legend with Ben Shapiro’s The Daily Wire, Run Hide Fight: Infidels will receive an exclusive global streaming release on DailyWire+ on September 16.
Majors’ return also comes after Marvel dropped him from the role of Kang the Conqueror following his conviction.
Paramount-WBD Merger Clears UK Hurdle as US Case Moves Forward
Paramount Skydance’s proposed $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery cleared a major regulatory hurdle in the UK after the Competition and Markets Authority concluded that the deal did not raise competition concerns.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy also issued a no-intervention decision after Paramount agreed to legally binding commitments covering CNN and Cartoon Network’s editorial independence, Channel 5’s public-service obligations and content-access terms for video-on-demand services.
However, the deal continues to face significant challenges in the US. A federal judge has set March 2, 2027, for the antitrust trial brought by 12 state attorneys general. The trial date falls five months after October 1, when a $7 million-per-day ticking fee is scheduled to begin accruing on Paramount if the transaction has not closed.
Following the UK approval, Paramount also announced a planned theatrical framework agreement with AMC Entertainment and Regal Cinemas. Under the proposed arrangement, Paramount would supply 30 films annually to theaters after the acquisition closes.
The agreement would guarantee a 45-day exclusive theatrical window before films move to streaming, followed by a full 90-day restriction on streaming distribution after the theatrical run. From a record-setting summer box office to Marvel’s expanding mutant universe and major shifts across Hollywood’s corporate landscape, the past week underscored how quickly the film industry continues to change heading into the final stretch of 2026.
