Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Friday, October 9, 2026
Ben Affleck Campaigned for L.A. Mayor in Character to Prepare for Netflix’s Animals
Ben Affleck revealed on Good Morning America that he campaigned for mayor in Los Angeles as his character Mark Kimball to prepare for Animals, the Netflix thriller he co-wrote, directed and stars in, premiering Friday. Affleck said he went out with Steven Yeun, who plays his campaign manager, bringing shirts, hats and their “little social media” to ask residents what they care about in L.A. “If I’m not careful, I’m gonna win this race!” he said. “Do not vote for me for mayor!” The film follows mayoral candidate Kimball, whose son is kidnapped, leaving him and wife Abigail, played by Kerry Washington, hours to raise ransom money.
Verity Star Anne Hathaway Gives Tom Cruise’s Digger Five Stars on Letterboxd
Anne Hathaway used her first Letterboxd review to give five stars to Digger, the satirical comedy written and directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and starring Tom Cruise. “I loved this brilliant movie. It’s smart and trippy and aggressive and funny and ambitious,” the Verity star wrote, urging audiences to see it and decide for themselves. The endorsement arrives after Digger opened to an $8 million domestic debut, a $20 million global start and a C+ CinemaScore, with Deadline reporting the film could lose around $150 million. Cruise plays aging oil magnate Digger Rockwell and said after the opening that he was “proud” of the film.
Netflix Plans Multi-Category Oscar Push for Korean Drama Possible Love
Netflix is planning a multi-category Oscar campaign for Possible Love, the first film in eight years from Korean director Lee Chang-dong. The film won the Venice Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize and holds scores of 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and 93 on Metacritic. Beyond best international feature, Netflix is targeting best picture, director and original screenplay, but sees its strongest bet in Jeon Do-yeon, whom it will push for best actress. Netflix will campaign the four principals in different races, including Sul Kyung-Gu for best actor and Cho Yeo-jeong and Zo In-sung in the supporting categories.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter
Other Mommy Set to Top Weekend as Sorkin’s Social Reckoning Eyes $7 Million Start
Universal’s Other Mommy is expected to win the weekend box office, opening in 3,200 North American locations with a projected $20 million debut on a $19 million budget. Sony is releasing Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning, the companion film to 2010’s The Social Network, in 2,200 theaters and projects an opening around $7 million. Universal has seen promising interest in the Jessica Chastain-led horror film since its trailer debuted ahead of The Odyssey in theaters over the summer. David A. Gross, who runs a box office newsletter, told THR that tech-centric films “seem to have a better home on streaming than on the big screen.”
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter
A24’s You Can See Everything Faces a Patchwork of Awards Eligibility Rules
A24’s documentary You Can See Everything, co-directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, features Fielder as a participant opposite subject Elizabeth Holmes, raising eligibility questions. An acting performance within a documentary is eligible at the Critics Choice Awards, but Golden Globes rules bar documentaries from motion picture categories outside a box office achievement award with strict thresholds. The Actor Awards also exclude documentaries, though a petition process exists. A24’s campaign website lists 10 categories for the film with no acting performance, yet those working on the film confirmed an acting campaign would be Oscar-eligible, a potential way to court the Academy’s large Actors Branch.
A24 Releases Robert Pattinson’s First Screen Test as Chris Hansen for Primetime
A24 has released a sizzle reel of Robert Pattinson’s first screen test as former To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen, two weeks after Primetime hit theaters. The clip is as creepily edited as the film itself, showing Pattinson wandering various sets and muttering words as he tries to find Hansen’s voice. The film, written by Ajon Singh, is based on Luke Dittrich’s 2007 Esquire article but takes great creative liberties with Hansen’s history. Hansen, who has spent months reacting to the film’s trailers, said after seeing it, “I wasn’t blown away by it either way,” and later gave Pattinson’s performance a low “D” on his podcast.
HBO Orders Crazy Rich Asians Sequel Series with Original Stars Returning
HBO has ordered an hour-long Crazy Rich Asians series as a follow-up to the 2018 rom-com hit, with production set to start in 2027. Constance Wu and Henry Golding return as Rachel Chu and Nick Young, and Ronny Chieng reprises Eddie, all as series regulars, while Michelle Yeoh recurs as Nick’s mother, Eleanor Sung-Young. Film co-writer Adele Lim will serve as showrunner and executive produce alongside director Jon M. Chu, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson and author Kevin Kwan. “Instead of just one movie, we get eight episodes to delve into the characters and worlds of Kevin Kwan’s brilliant books,” Lim said in a statement.
Sources: Entertainment Weekly
Bacardí and AMC Revive the Crypt Keeper as Host of FearFest’s 30th Year
AMC and spirits brand Bacardí have brought back the Crypt Keeper, voiced again by original artist John Kassir, to host AMC’s 30th anniversary of FearFest after a 30-year absence. The partners will release five vignettes across linear and social during the event’s 650 hours of October horror content, while all seven seasons of Tales From the Crypt now stream on AMC+ and Shudder for the first time. Walking Dead director Greg Nicotero updated the character’s look and directed the content, which casts the Crypt Keeper as a cocktail-loving DJ within Bacardí’s “Better With a Beat” campaign. Conversations began in early 2026, according to AMC Global Media.
Domestic Box Office Top 20
Weekend of October 2–4, 2026 (latest completed weekend) · Source: Box Office Mojo
| # | Title | Released | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Verity Amazon MGM Studios | Oct 2, 2026 | $32,031,011 | $32,031,011 |
| 2 | Resident Evil Columbia Pictures | Sep 18, 2026 | $12,618,839 | $125,013,734 |
| 3 | Heart of the Beast Paramount Pictures | Sep 25, 2026 | $10,876,713 | $38,275,824 |
| 4 | Digger Warner Bros. | Oct 2, 2026 | $8,001,856 | $8,001,856 |
| 5 | Primetime A24 | Sep 25, 2026 | $8,000,085 | $34,085,832 |
| 6 | Forgotten Island DreamWorks | Sep 25, 2026 | $7,201,655 | $23,632,855 |
| 7 | Avengers: Endgame Encore (2026 Re-release) Walt Disney Studios | Sep 25, 2026 | $4,471,524 | $36,298,509 |
| 8 | Practical Magic 2 Warner Bros. | Sep 11, 2026 | $2,785,993 | $64,827,319 |
| 9 | Drishyam: The Conclusion — | Oct 2, 2026 | $2,715,000 | $2,715,000 |
| 10 | Spider-Man: Brand New Day Sony Pictures Releasing | Jul 31, 2026 | $2,501,553 | $954,528,523 |
| 11 | The Odyssey Universal Pictures | Jul 17, 2026 | $1,298,085 | $620,461,595 |
| 12 | Coyote vs. Acme Ketchup Entertainment | Aug 28, 2026 | $727,165 | $59,849,331 |
| 13 | Daniel and the Fiery Furnace EKKL Entertainment | Sep 18, 2026 | $664,394 | $7,584,825 |
| 14 | Mozart: Cosi Fan Tutte — | Oct 4, 2026 | $563,400 | $563,400 |
| 15 | Beware Boiúna Lionsgate | Oct 2, 2026 | $550,546 | $550,546 |
| 16 | The History of Concrete — | Sep 18, 2026 | $481,144 | $1,252,867 |
| 17 | Rolling Loud Ketchup Entertainment | Oct 2, 2026 | $475,019 | $475,019 |
| 18 | The Influencer Project Variance Films | Oct 2, 2026 | $359,805 | $359,805 |
| 19 | Linkin Park: Unshatter Trafalgar Releasing | Sep 30, 2026 | $336,100 | $680,400 |
| 20 | Insidious: Out of the Further Sony Pictures Releasing | Aug 21, 2026 | $313,766 | $65,762,761 |
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency