Spider-Man: Brand New Day Visuals for IMAX

The cinematic landscape is about to shift, as a massive new adventure from Sony and Marvel is set to claim its spot in the most coveted screen format: IMAX. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is hitting U.S. IMAX theaters this Thursday, ready to deliver some truly spectacular action.

This arrival comes at a timely moment, as the exclusive dominance of Christopher Nolan’s epic, The Odyssey, has been monopolizing the country’s IMAX cinemas for several weeks. That exclusive run is set to conclude this week, opening up the doors for other major blockbusters to share the spotlight.

With the exclusivity window closing, IMAX auditoriums will soon be filled with a diverse array of cinematic giants. And while The Odyssey has commanded attention, preparing for the Spider-Man film means competing for those giant screens with an undisputed heavyweight.

The scale of the competition is staggering. The Odyssey has already generated a phenomenal $221 million globally in IMAX revenue, a figure that excludes initial grosses from China, South Korea, and Japan. Meanwhile, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is demonstrating its blockbuster appeal, having amassed $927 million globally by the end of its first weekend.

The success of the Spider-Man entry is clearly reflected in the excitement surrounding its production. Director Destin Daniel Cretton recently shed some light on the creative process, confirming that the initial montage of villains featured a character known as Paste-Pot Pete. The director revealed that they had “lot of fun” with the character during the filming, even though he ultimately didn’t make it into the final film.

In the comics lore, Paste-Pot Pete is a research scientist who utilized a multi-polymer adhesive to commit crimes in a comically ridiculous costume complete with a ‘paste-gun’. It seems the creative energy behind the project really did spill over into some delightfully chaotic backstage moments.