B&B Theatres CEO Bob Bagby apologized to his staffers in advance. He was bracing for the opening weekend of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and knew everyone would need to work around the clock. That’s no exaggeration: Screenings were scheduled at such odd hours as 8 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. to meet demand.
“We were calling managers to add show times and get employees to stay. We just kept selling out,” Bagby recalls. “Nobody had Sunday off. It was tough on the team, but they were happy to see the crowds.”
Bagby, whose family has operated the Missouri-based B&B Theaters for more than 100 years, wasn’t sure another movie would ever replicate the breathless hype of 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame.” After all, “Endgame” debuted to a record-setting $357 million domestically before the pandemic upended everything, and the epic Marvel sequel was an anomaly as the culmination of 23 interconnected movies. So imagine Bagby’s delight when he witnessed a similar frenzy around “Brand New Day.” Audiences of all ages came dressed up as Spider-Man (and doled out high-fives to fellow cosplayers), buying themed popcorn buckets (that promptly sold out) and snapping photos to document the fun. Somehow, someway, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” eclipsed “Endgame’s” all-time opening weekend record with $360 million in North America. The Tom Holland-led adventure has since generated a heroic $2.078 billion globally.
