Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Sunday, September 13, 2026
Practical Magic 2 Opens No. 1 at $30M, Ending Spider-Man’s Six-Week Run
Practical Magic 2 debuted at No. 1 this weekend, earning a $30 million domestic opening from 4,146 theaters, dethroning Spider-Man: Brand New Day after its six-week run at the top of the chart. Warner Bros. and Alcon Entertainment’s sequel reunites Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as the Owens sisters, continuing the story begun in the 1998 supernatural romantic comedy. Spider-Man slipped to second with an estimated $8.5 million, pushing its domestic cumulative to approximately $935 million. The opening gives Warner Bros. its first No. 1 debut of the fall box office season.
The Odyssey Surpasses Jurassic World to Become Universal’s Highest-Grossing Film Ever at $1.68B
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has surpassed Jurassic World to become Universal Pictures’ all-time highest-grossing film globally, reaching a cumulative of $1.68 billion worldwide—$601 million domestic and $1.083 billion international. The Homer epic is now in its ninth weekend, adding $8.1 million domestically this frame across 2,312 theaters. Universal had long held the benchmark with the Jurassic World franchise, a record that stood for over a decade. The milestone underscores Nolan’s unmatched commercial standing among contemporary filmmakers following Oppenheimer and positions Universal for its strongest annual box office performance in years.
Netflix to Report Box Office for Six Upcoming Theatrical Releases
Netflix has announced it will publicly disclose domestic box office figures for six upcoming theatrical releases, a significant transparency shift for the streamer. The titles confirmed for reporting include La Bola Negra, Cliff Booth, Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, Mosquito Bowl, Ink, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Netflix has historically withheld theatrical grosses, releasing only proprietary viewership hours. The move signals growing pressure from theater operators and studios to standardize reporting across platforms. The six titles span multiple genres and release windows, with the Narnia adaptation and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory among the highest-profile inclusions.
Apple TV+ and HBO Head Into Emmy Night 3 Showdown With Platform Record Stakes
Apple TV+ heads into Monday’s Emmy Night 3 telecast on NBC leading all platforms with 19 Emmy wins from the Creative Arts ceremonies, with HBO and HBO Max close behind at 16 wins. The primetime ceremony airing September 14 will determine platform supremacy for the 2026 Emmy season. Apple TV+’s total is driven by its flagship dramas and limited series, while HBO’s tally spans comedy, drama, and documentary categories. Both streaming platforms surpass broadcast networks in total count. The showdown is seen as a defining moment for Apple TV+’s ascent as a prestige television destination relative to HBO’s entrenched dominance.
IMAX Tops $600M in Q3 Box Office on Back of The Odyssey
IMAX has set a format record for its third quarter, surpassing $600 million in global box office for the period, driven primarily by The Odyssey. IMAX ticket sales for Christopher Nolan’s film alone topped $450 million globally, making it the single largest IMAX driver in any quarter in format history. The milestone positions IMAX for a record full-year gross and validates its long-term strategy of partnering with premium tentpoles and prestige directors. The quarter’s performance reflects a broader strengthening of the large-format theatrical market heading into the traditionally busy fall and holiday corridor.
Avengers: Doomsday Presales Cross $50M Domestically Three Months Before December Release
Disney and Marvel’s campaign for Avengers: Doomsday has driven domestic advance ticket sales past $50 million, a milestone reached three months ahead of its December release—one of the earliest presale benchmarks in franchise history. More than 70% of presales are attributed to Infinity Vision premium-format tickets, reflecting the franchise’s durable grip on premium-format audiences. The total ranks among the highest domestic presale figures recorded at this stage of a release cycle. Marketing has positioned the film as the culmination of Marvel’s Multiverse Saga, drawing comparisons to Avengers: Endgame in scale and emotional weight.
Resident Evil From Zach Cregger Tracking $35M–$50M for Record Opening Next Weekend
Sony Pictures’ Resident Evil reboot, directed by Zach Cregger, is tracking $35M–$50M for its opening weekend on September 18, a range that would set a franchise-record domestic debut. Cregger, whose post-Weapons auteur profile has raised his commercial standing in the horror-adjacent space, brings fresh creative vision to the long-running game franchise. Early tracking shows particularly strong pull among male audiences under 25. Sony’s marketing campaign has leaned into Cregger’s growing reputation as a genre filmmaker of consequence. A top-end opening would rank among the largest September debuts in Hollywood history.
🎬 Box Office Top 20 — Weekend of Sept. 11–13, 2026
| # | Title | Distributor | Est. Wknd | Cumul. (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Practical Magic 2 NEW | WB / Alcon | $30.0M | $30.0M |
| 2 | Spider-Man: Brand New Day | Sony / Marvel | $8.5M est. | $935.5M est. |
| 3 | The Odyssey | Universal | $8.1M est. | $601.2M est. |
| 4 | Coyote vs. Acme | Ketchup / WB | $5.9M est. | $47.3M est. |
| 5 | Runner NEW | Angel Studios | $5.4M est. | $5.4M |
| 6 | By Any Means | Paramount | $4.1M est. | $18.0M est. |
| 7 | Hope NEW | Neon | $3.3M est. | $3.3M |
| 8 | Cars: 20th Anniversary | Disney | $3.5M est. | — |
| 9 | Insidious: Out of the Further | Sony | $3.1M est. | $61.0M est. |
| 10 | The Uprising NEW | Focus Features | $3.0M est. | $3.0M |
| 11 | Buddy | Roadside / Saban | $2.6M est. | $18.3M est. |
| 12 | Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger NEW | Disney | $2.4M est. | $2.4M |
| 13 | PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie | Paramount | $2.0M est. | $52.5M est. |
| 14 | The End of Oak Street | WB | $1.7M est. | $53.4M est. |
| 15 | Akira (Re-Release) | Sony / Crunchyroll | $1.3M est. | $4.0M est. |
| 16 | The Dog Stars | 20th Century | $1.2M est. | $15.1M est. |
| 17 | Fall 2: Deadpoint | Lionsgate Grind | $1.2M est. | $5.0M est. |
| 18 | Onslaught | A24 | $1.0M est. | $3.5M est. |
| 19 | Toy Story 5 | Disney / Pixar | $0.5M est. | est. |
| 20 | Devil Wears Prada 2 | Sony | $0.3M est. | est. |
Sources: Deadline. Positions 1–3 confirmed; remaining are Sunday estimates. Actuals post Monday.
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency