Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Friday, August 7, 2026
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Crosses $500M Domestic Faster Than Any Film in History
Spider-Man: Brand New Day became the fastest film ever to cross $500 million at the domestic box office, reaching that mark in just seven days — beating the eight days it took Avengers: Endgame in 2019. Director Destin Daniel Cretton’s Sony/Marvel sequel starring Tom Holland and Zendaya also posted the second-best Wednesday figure for a non-opening title, with $32.7 million, trailing only Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ $38 million in 2015. Brand New Day now enters its second weekend — its first with North American Imax screens in play — following the end of The Odyssey’s exclusive large-format engagement.
Netflix Installs Live Performer Inside Sunset Blvd. Billboard to Promote Thriller The Last House
To promote its new thriller The Last House, Netflix installed a performer inside a furnished bay-window billboard at Sunset and Selma Avenue in Los Angeles on Thursday — standing approximately 30 feet off the ground above the Sunset Strip. The installation, running through Saturday, recreates the film’s central premise: a family of four trapped inside their home as resources dwindle and a mysterious external threat prevents escape. Passersby may watch the bathrobe-clad performer eat, use binoculars and hold up a whiteboard for interaction. The thriller, directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Greta Lee and Wagner Moura, launched on Netflix Friday.
Netflix Stages Free L.A. Wellness Events to Campaign for Emmy-Nominated Beef
With final Emmy voting set to begin August 17, Netflix is staging a week of free wellness events across Los Angeles to campaign for its anthology series Beef. Branded “Release Your Rage. Feel Your Calm,” the For Your Consideration activations run August 10–14 and include robot massages at Pause, Gua Sha facials at Heyday, limited-edition smoothies at SunLife Organics, and sound bath sessions at The Den Meditation in West Hollywood. The series leads all limited/anthology programs at this year’s Emmys with 16 nominations, including outstanding limited series and lead acting nods for Carey Mulligan and Oscar Isaac.
Nielsen Acquires Ad-Tech Firm DoubleVerify for $2.15 Billion to Boost Streaming Measurement
Nielsen has agreed to acquire digital advertising verification firm DoubleVerify in an all-cash transaction valued at $2.15 billion, or $13.60 per share — a 30% premium to the company’s recent trading price. DoubleVerify’s software measures whether ads actually ran in digital environments and on brand-safe sites, capabilities Nielsen wants to integrate as programmers and advertisers navigate the accelerating shift from linear TV to streaming. DoubleVerify shares jumped nearly 14% in after-hours trading Thursday on the news. The deal requires DoubleVerify shareholder and regulatory approval and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027.
Apple TV+ Brings Widow’s Bay to AMC Theatres for Free Fan Screenings Ahead of Emmy Voting
Apple TV+ is bringing its Emmy-nominated horror comedy Widow’s Bay to AMC Theatres for free fan screenings, marking the first time the streamer has given a series a theatrical event. The one-night-only screenings, set for Wednesday, August 12, will present the final three episodes of Season 1 at select AMC locations in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. The events were organized in partnership with Rutgers University, the alma mater of series creator Katie Dippold. Widow’s Bay, starring Matthew Rhys, earned 19 Emmy nominations this cycle — the most for any freshman series — and has been renewed for a second season.
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spider-Man: Brand New Day | Jul 31 | $360.1M | $360.1M |
| 2 | The Odyssey | Jul 17 | $51.0M | $395.6M |
| 3 | Toy Story 5 | Jun 19 | $6.8M | $462.2M |
| 4 | Minions & Monsters | Jul 3 | $6.0M | $168.6M |
| 5 | Moana | Jul 10 | $5.6M | $115.1M |
| 6 | Hadestown: The Musical | Jul 24 | $2.0M | $18.2M |
| 7 | The Invite | Jun 26 | $1.2M | $22.8M |
| 8 | Evil Dead Burn | Jul 10 | $751k | $31.5M |
| 9 | I Want Your Sex | Jul 31 | $635k | $635k |
| 10 | Young Washington | Jul 3 | $506k | $46.4M |
| 11 | Obsession | May 15 | $503k | $262.8M |
| 12 | Backrooms | May 29 | $332k | $197.3M |
| 13 | Motor City | Jul 24 | $272k | $2.6M |
| 14 | Disclosure Day | Jun 12 | $176k | $116.6M |
| 15 | Supergirl | Jun 26 | $96k | $72.1M |
| 16 | Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World | Jul 3 | $70k | $430k |
| 17 | The Samurai and the Prisoner | Jul 31 | $64k | $64k |
| 18 | Her Private Hell | Jul 24 | $55k | $861k |
| 19 | Sheep in the Box | Jul 24 | $53k | $90k |
| 20 | Pinocchio: Unstrung | Jul 24 | $51k | $614k |
Source: Box Office Mojo · Weekend estimates
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency