Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Sunday, May 17, 2026
Michael Holds at No. 1 with $27M in Fourth Frame as Horror Newcomer Obsession Opens to Surprise $14M
Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic held No. 1 for a fourth consecutive weekend with an estimated $27 million domestically, pushing its running total to $283.6 million and pacing 7% ahead of Oppenheimer at the same stage. The weekend’s biggest surprise came from Focus Features’ Obsession, the debut wide release from YouTube filmmaker Curry Barker, which opened to $14 million at 2,615 locations — well above the $8–9 million projected — earning an A− CinemaScore. 20th Century Studios’ The Devil Wears Prada 2 took second with $20 million in its third weekend, while Mortal Kombat II fell 66% to an estimated $13 million in week two.
Sources: Deadline
YouTube Filmmaker Curry Barker’s Grassroots Obsession Campaign Turns Horror Fanbase Into Brand Asset
Focus Features and Blumhouse built Obsession’s campaign around director Curry Barker’s YouTube audience, treating the filmmaker himself as the primary brand asset. Out-of-home activations in Los Angeles and New York featured in-character billboards from the film’s antagonist Nikki, declaring her love. A limited run of physical One Wish Willows — the magical props central to the plot — sold out within hours, generating 4.4 million YouTube views for the commercial alone. Festival screenings at Overlook, Panic Fest, and SXSW built the horror fandom base pre-release. Organic social conversation framed Barker as an “indie horror graduation moment,” pushing Friday previews past A24’s Heretic and Talk to Me.
Sources: Deadline
2026 Upfronts Deliver Clear Winners as Disney and Netflix Outclass a Paralyzed Warner Bros. Discovery
The 2026 television upfronts concluded a compressed three-day New York showcase with clear winners and losers among major media sellers. Disney drew strong marks for leveraging The Devil Wears Prada 2 star Anne Hathaway and sports anchors including an upcoming Super Bowl on ABC. Netflix, now reaching 250 million ad-tier users, earned praise for its polished fourth-year ad pitch. Warner Bros. Discovery stumbled: CEO David Zaslav did not appear on stage, HBO boss Casey Bloys was also absent, and attendees described the presentation as thin amid the looming Paramount acquisition. NBCUniversal’s two-hour presentation drew criticism as bloated despite blockbuster ratings from the Olympics and Super Bowl.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter
Jordan Firstman’s Club Kid Draws Multiple Eight-Figure Offers at Cannes Market
Jordan Firstman’s Cannes Un Certain Regard title Club Kid has drawn multiple eight-figure offers from major studios within 24 hours of its festival premiere, Deadline reports. Contrary to earlier, lower-stakes coverage, the acquisition interest spans multiple high-level players, an unusual signal for a non-competition title. Buyers describe the film as subversive and tonally singular, with parallels to recent acquisitions that converted Cannes momentum into theatrical runs. The bidding reflects renewed appetite for distinctive work at the market, a shift from the conservative buying posture of recent years. Firstman, primarily known for short-form digital content, joins Curry Barker as a second creator-economy filmmaker commanding major-studio attention this weekend.
Sources: Deadline
James Gray’s Paper Tiger Roars Into Awards Race With 10-Minute Cannes Ovation
James Gray’s crime drama Paper Tiger, starring Adam Driver, Miles Teller, and Scarlett Johansson, received a 10-minute standing ovation at its world premiere Saturday at Cannes’ Grand Théâtre Lumière. Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, and director Pawel Pawlikowski were among those leading the applause for James Gray’s sixth competition title at the festival. The film earned early critical notices, including praise for Driver’s performance. The premiere reaction, combined with active pre-sales at the Cannes market, positions Paper Tiger as a potential awards-season contender heading into the fall circuit. Gray has competed at Cannes six times; Paper Tiger marks his return after a seven-year absence since 2019’s Ad Astra.
Sources: Deadline
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Devil Wears Prada 2 | May 1 | $41.6M | $143.4M |
| 2 | Mortal Kombat II | May 8 | $38.5M | $38.5M |
| 3 | Michael | Apr 24 | $37.9M | $241.9M |
| 4 | The Sheep Detectives | May 8 | $15.1M | $15.1M |
| 5 | Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft | May 8 | $7.0M | $7.0M |
| 6 | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Apr 3 | $6.6M | $412.2M |
| 7 | Project Hail Mary | Mar 20 | $6.6M | $328.3M |
| 8 | Hokum | May 1 | $3.3M | $12.4M |
| 9 | Deep Water | May 1 | $836K | $3.7M |
| 10 | Animal Farm | Apr 24 | $704K | $5.0M |
| 11 | Lee Cronin’s The Mummy | Apr 17 | $556K | $28.7M |
| 12 | The Drama | Apr 3 | $294K | $47.7M |
| 13 | Hoppers | Mar 6 | $202K | $165.7M |
| 14 | The Story of Everything | May 1 | $164K | $1.8M |
| 15 | That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Movie | May 1 | $130K | $1.3M |
| 16 | Blue Heron | Apr 17 | $110K | $266K |
| 17 | Silent Friend | May 8 | $72K | $72K |
| 18 | The Christophers | Apr 10 | $71K | $1.8M |
| 19 | Steal This Story, Please! | Apr 10 | $69K | $387K |
| 20 | You, Me & Tuscany | Apr 10 | $59K | $18.7M |
Source: Box Office Mojo · Weekend estimates · May 8–10, 2026
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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