Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Avengers: Endgame Encore Tops Box Office With $26M Domestic; Three Films Debut in Top Five
Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame Encore opened to $26 million domestically this weekend, claiming the box office crown with an $86 million worldwide launch. Resident Evil held at No. 2 with $23 million domestic, pushing its franchise-best cumulative tally past $103 million in North America. Three debuts rounded out the top five: Paramount’s Heart of the Beast (Brad Pitt, $20 million), Robert Pattinson’s Primetime ($19.1 million), and DreamWorks’ Forgotten Island ($13 million). Four of the top five slots were new or returning titles—a late-September surge signaling sustained theatrical appetite heading into the fall marketing corridor.
Elsinore Trailer Drops as Andrew Scott–Olivia Colman Film Set to Open BFI London Festival
Focus Features released the trailer for Elsinore, director Simon Stone’s drama about actor Ian Charleson’s courageous final Hamlet at the National Theatre. Andrew Scott leads an ensemble featuring Olivia Colman, Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, and Joe Locke. Written by Stephen Beresford and co-produced by STUDIOCANAL and LD Entertainment, the film opens the 70th BFI London Film Festival on October 7 at Royal Festival Hall, then enters US select theaters November 20. Charleson’s story of performance under extraordinary personal duress positions the film as a strong awards-season contender.
A24 Drops Full Trailer for Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes Doc ‘You Can See Everything’
A24 released the full trailer for You Can See Everything, co-directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim. The documentary follows Elizabeth Holmes—Theranos founder—filmed during the 34 days before her imprisonment, described as “a mind-bending, three-year journey into the abyss.” The film upends conventional true-crime documentary form. A24 has set a theatrical release for October 16, with tickets now on sale. The campaign leans on Fielder’s genre-bending reputation and critical enthusiasm rather than conventional advertising saturation, positioning the title as a prestige event film.
Brad Bird’s Long-Gestating Animated Noir ‘Ray Gunn’ Gets Trailer and Limited 70mm Run Before Netflix
Netflix and Skydance Animation released the first trailer for Ray Gunn, Brad Bird’s retro-futuristic animated noir—thirty years in the making—voiced by Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Waits, Matt Berry, and Alan Tudyk. Private detective Raymond “Ray” Gunn navigates neon-drenched art-deco cityscapes. A limited 70mm theatrical release opens December 4 before the global Netflix debut December 18. Netflix is mounting an awards campaign behind Johansson’s original song “Too Much to Ask” for Best Original Song consideration—an unusual play that positions a streaming animated title squarely in Oscar contention.
Alex Gibney’s Four-Hour ‘Musk’ Documentary Releases Full Trailer Ahead of October Theatrical Run
Alex Gibney’s nearly four-hour documentary Musk released its full trailer as the film heads toward a wide release October 16. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival and screened at Toronto before its wide rollout. Gibney—known for Scientology and Enron documentaries—examines Elon Musk’s arc from “the real-life Iron Man” to “Earth’s most unchecked man,” juxtaposing SpaceX launches against his Twitter takeover. Musk declined to participate and has called the film a “hit piece.” The marketing bets controversy will sustain theatrical attention across its four-hour runtime.
ASIFA-Hollywood Launches Inaugural Animation Showcase FYC Event for November, with Major Studio Support
ASIFA-Hollywood announced its inaugural Animation Showcase, a dedicated FYC event set for November 14–15 at the Audrey Irmas Pavilion in Los Angeles, as part of Infinity Festival Hollywood. Participating studios include Disney/Pixar, Netflix Animation, DreamWorks Animation, Marvel Animation, Laika, Sony Pictures Animation, Warner Bros. Animation, Paramount+, Crunchyroll, Apple TV+, and IFC. Executive director Aubry Mintz said the event aims to create “a place to be seen, discussed, and celebrated as awards season begins.” The showcase also functions as a fundraiser for a planned second Annie Awards ceremony. ASIFA-Hollywood members receive complimentary passes.
Warner Bros. Reshuffles Dates: DC’s ‘Dynamic Duo’ Moves to Sept. 2028; ‘Gremlins 3’ Slips Nearly a Full Year
Warner Bros. adjusted the release calendar for two high-profile productions. Dynamic Duo—directed by Arthur Mintz for DC Studios, using a proprietary “Momo Animation” technique blending stop-motion, CGI, and live-action performance—shifts from June 30 to September 22, 2028. Meanwhile, Gremlins 3, directed by Christopher Columbus with traditional puppets and animatronics (no CGI Gizmo), slides from November 2027 to October 6, 2028—a near full-year delay. The moves open the summer 2028 corridor for competing studios and give both productions additional production time. Neither title has released footage publicly.
Weekend Box Office — Sept. 26–28, 2026
| # | Title | Wknd (Dom.) | Cumul. (Dom.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avengers: Endgame Encore | $26.0M | $884.3M |
| 2 | Resident Evil | $23.0M | $103.1M |
| 3 | Heart of the Beast | $20.0M | $20.0M |
| 4 | Primetime | $19.1M | $19.2M |
| 5 | Forgotten Island | $13.0M | $13.0M |
| 6 | Practical Magic 2 | — | $59.8M |
| 7 | The Odyssey | — | $616.6M |
| 8 | Spider-Man: Brand New Day | $4.1M† | $950.6M |
| 9 | Coyote vs. Acme | — | $58.4M |
| 10 | Daniel and the Fiery Furnace | — | $6.2M |
| 11 | Runner | — | — |
| 12 | Buddy | — | — |
| 13 | Insidious: Out of the Further | — | $65.2M |
| 14 | Shaun the Sheep: Beast of Mossy Bottom | — | — |
| 15 | The Weight | — | — |
| 16 | PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie | — | — |
| 17 | Hope | — | — |
| 18 | Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! | — | — |
| 19 | Your Mother, Your Mother, Your Mother | — | — |
| 20 | Tony | — | — |
Dom. = North America only. Weekend: Sept. 26–28, 2026. †Graphicpolicy.com estimate. Weekend gross for #6–20 pending final Monday estimates; ranks for those positions reflect Sunday domestic daily chart (The Numbers). Cumulative as of Sunday. Sources: everythingaction.com, graphicpolicy.com, the-numbers.com.
Every newsletter preserved and searchable
Curated by JD · samwise.agency