Just days after the latest “Spider-Man” swung into theatres, staff at one B.C. cinema found themselves in a sticky situation: they still had no movie poster. Drake Landon, who works at Famous Players Six in Prince George, was tasked with crafting his own spin on a “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” poster to be used as a placeholder until official material arrived in the mail. “We didn’t get the poster in due to shipment issues, so my boss asked me to draw it, so I did,” Drake wrote in an online forum discussing his poster. But there was one condition — the finished product wasn’t meant to look polished, instead taking inspiration from a viral 2012 meme. “Spooderman” content, which resembles a poorly drawn Spider-Man, usually contains poor grammar, as seen in the caption on Drake’s poster: “Sorry! We never recieved the real posters! Sorry for any inconveniences!” ‘It’s been fantastic’ The shipping delay meant the theatre had nothing to put in the poster case to promote the movie, which was anticipated to be a major box-office success. “I think for our son, it’s been fantastic,” Craig Landon, Drake’s father, said in an interview with CTV News on Friday. “It’s not really his forte,” Craig added, noting that his son has a passion for drawing “sci-fi, robots, that kind of stuff. He can draw anything.” It’s a talent that has since gone viral, with Drake’s poster being featured on social media and in various media outlets like The Hollywood Reporter. “Never expected it to get this big…” the artist wrote. An ‘exciting’ summer “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” released in Canada on July 31, has grossed more than US$1.8 billion globally against a $225 million budget as of Friday. The Sony-Marvel superhero film starring Tom Holland in the titular role scored the second-biggest North American opening ever and, within roughly a week of being released, became the highest-grossing movie this year. “The 2026 summer box office has certainly been an exciting one for Cineplex,” a company spokesperson said, pointing to a new earnings report. Cineplex, the parent company of Famous Players, reported second-quarter revenue of more than $383.7 million earlier this week. That’s the highest Q2 revenue in its history, with nearly 12.7 million people visiting its theatres. “I think the combination of great content this summer, as well as the engagement of Gen Z with the theatre experience, will help the industry,” retail analyst Bruce Winder told CTV News on Friday. “Gen Z is all about social settings, including malls, and has an affinity for 1990s nostalgia, which included going to the movies with friends.” Another summer blockbuster, “The Odyssey,” released on July 17 in Canada, has officially become the highest-grossing IMAX release of all time. While streaming surges in popularity, sitting at home can be isolating, Winder said — so consumers may look to “get out of the house again, especially in a post-pandemic world when it is too easy to doomscroll all day.” “The popularity of ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘The Odyssey’ has been critical to this trend. Without the right content that connects to the cultural moment, the resurgence of theatres may be muted,” Winder added in an interview. ‘Awesome for the theatre, awesome for him’ Drake’s poster is creating buzz around the Prince George cinema, the city’s only year-round theatre and one of two remaining Famous Players in Canada. “He’s a little bit overwhelmed,” Craig added. “It’s great his art has been recognized and people are loving it. It’s awesome for the theatre, awesome for him.” Cineplex is thrilled, too, acknowledging the positive feedback. “Our team did have a little fun as they awaited the arrival of their ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ poster. We hear it’s bringing joy to the community and excitement on social channels,” the company spokesperson added. “We’re going to find a new home for the hand-drawn poster in the theatre.”
