Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
“Practical Magic 2” Opens at #1 But Falls Short of Warner Bros. Projections
“Practical Magic 2,” the long-awaited sequel starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, opened at #1 at the domestic box office this weekend, earning $30 million from 4,146 theaters—a figure that fell short of Warner Bros.’ pre-release projections. The studio positioned the film as a major fall tentpole, counting on the original’s enduring 1990s cultural cachet to drive family and repeat audiences. Despite claiming the weekend’s top spot, the underwhelming gross raises questions about whether nostalgia-driven sequels can reliably command the theatrical premiums studios build into wide-release budgets. Spider-Man: Brand New Day dropped to second place with $8.4 million in week seven.
Apple TV+ Leads 78th Emmys With Record 28 Wins, Widow’s Bay Sets Comedy Record
Apple TV+ dominated the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, claiming a record 28 wins and establishing itself as a genuine prestige powerhouse in a field long controlled by HBO and Netflix. The platform’s first-season comedy Widow’s Bay led all programs, setting a new record for wins by a single comedy series in a single year. The sweep caps Apple’s aggressive multi-year investment in low-volume, high-budget originals and validates a content strategy built around marquee talent and awards-focused production. The 78th Emmy ceremony was hosted by Mariska Hargitay at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Sources: Hollywood Reporter
The Pitt Wins Outstanding Drama at 78th Emmys; Noah Wyle Takes Lead Actor
HBO Max’s medical drama The Pitt claimed Outstanding Drama Series at the 78th Emmy Awards, with star Noah Wyle taking Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of the show’s emergency room physician. Jean Smart added to her Emmy legacy with another win for Hacks in the comedy actress category, while Matthew Rhys earned what Global News described as a “television history” performance milestone. The Pitt’s drama prize confirms its arrival as the defining prestige entry of the 2025–26 television cycle and a significant win for Max’s platform positioning heading into the fall content calendar.
IFC Horror “River” Becomes TIFF 2026’s First Big Sale at $10M+ to Universal and Blumhouse
In the largest acquisition deal of TIFF 2026 to date, Universal Pictures and Blumhouse—alongside James Wan’s Atomic Monster—purchased North American rights to IFC horror film “River” for more than $10 million. The slasher, directed by Joshua Giuliano and starring Jane Levy and Jessica Rothe, generated strong word of mouth from early festival screenings. The eight-figure deal signals sustained buyer appetite for elevated horror properties with established genre talent, reinforcing a festival acquisition pattern in which horror films with strong screening responses command prices that once belonged exclusively to prestige dramas.
Vertical Acquires “Cliffhanger” Remake (Lily James, Pierce Brosnan) at TIFF for $7M
Vertical Entertainment acquired “Cliffhanger,” a remake of the 1993 Sylvester Stallone action thriller, for $7 million out of TIFF 2026. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and starring Lily James and Pierce Brosnan, the remake updates the mountain survival premise with a strong female lead. The deal continues Vertical’s established strategy of targeting high-concept films built on recognizable IP at international festivals, where mid-tier distributors have increasingly outpaced the major studios on acquisition speed and risk tolerance. Collet-Serra brings proven action-franchise credentials from “The Gray Man” and a prolific working collaboration with Liam Neeson across multiple successful genre films.
Zack Snyder’s “The Last Photograph” Opens at TIFF Without Distributor Amid Harsh Reception
Zack Snyder’s “The Last Photograph,” a passion project the director developed over nearly two decades, world-premiered at TIFF 2026 without a distribution deal in place—and to a reception that Variety described as harsh. The film, which Snyder has called the most personal work of his career, remained without a domestic theatrical or streaming home as of the festival’s opening days. Its distributor-free debut highlights the widening gap between director-driven prestige projects and the algorithmic risk calculus applied by major streaming buyers when evaluating original IP without franchise attachment or proven audience data.
Box Office Top 20 — Weekend of September 13–14, 2026
Source: BoxOffice Guru · 16 films reported · Positions 17–20 not published this weekend
| # | Title | Weekend | Screens | Wk | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Practical Magic 2 | $30.0M | 4,146 | NEW | $30.0M |
| 2 | Spider-Man: Brand New Day | $8.4M | 3,303 | 7 | $935.2M |
| 3 | The Odyssey | $7.4M | 1,983 | 9 | $600.5M |
| 4 | Runner | $6.43M | 2,568 | NEW | $6.43M |
| 5 | Coyote vs. Acme | $6.20M | 3,355 | 3 | $47.8M |
| 6 | Buddy | $3.50M | 1,719 | 3 | $21.3M |
| 7 | Insidious: Out of the Further | $3.35M | 2,353 | 4 | $60.5M |
| 8 | Hope | $3.30M | 1,560 | NEW | $5.0M |
| 9 | The Uprising | $3.25M | 2,068 | NEW | $3.25M |
| 10 | By Any Means | $2.50M | 2,903 | 2 | $13.5M |
| 11 | Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger | $1.43M | 1,225 | NEW | $1.43M |
| 12 | Cars (2006 Re-release) | $1.20M | 2,500 | 4 | $10.4M |
| 13 | PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie | $1.15M | 1,606 | 5 | $51.4M |
| 14 | The End of Oak Street | $1.13M | 1,253 | 5 | $53.4M |
| 15 | Fall 2: Deadpoint | $600K | 1,024 | 2 | $4.6M |
| 16 | Tony | $496K | 380 | 6 | $14.7M |
| 17 | Not reported by BoxOffice Guru this weekend | ||||
| 18 | Not reported | ||||
| 19 | Not reported | ||||
| 20 | Not reported | ||||
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