Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Michael Jackson Biopic Returns to No. 1 With $26 Million Fourth Weekend
Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic Michael reclaimed the top spot at the North American box office in its fourth weekend, earning an estimated $26.1 million from 3,560 theaters for the frame of May 15–17, 2026. The film has now accumulated $282.8 million domestically and more than $700 million worldwide, surpassing Bohemian Rhapsody to become the highest-grossing music biopic in North American history. Michael displaced The Devil Wears Prada 2 from the top position it held for two consecutive weekends. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film continues to demonstrate unusual fourth-weekend staying power ahead of the upcoming Memorial Day corridor.
Sources: Deadline
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu Eyes $160 Million Global Memorial Day Launch
Disney’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, directed by Jon Favreau, is tracking for a domestic four-day haul of $80 million or more and a $160 million global opening over the Memorial Day weekend beginning May 22. North American presales of $25 million already exceed those of Project Hail Mary at the same point in its campaign. The film opens in 4,300 theaters including 425 Imax screens. Disney is accelerating family-audience outreach in the final days before opening, aiming to supplement the film’s current male-skewing demographic with broader household attendance ahead of what the studio is positioning as the official start of the summer blockbuster season.
Sources: Deadline
Mandalorian and Grogu Reviews Break Mixed at 61% as Disney Accelerates Family Marketing Push
Disney’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu landed to divided critical opinion as the review embargo lifted ahead of its May 22, 2026 theatrical opening. Some critics called Jon Favreau’s film a “thrilling adventure,” while others described it as “one of the weakest Star Wars movies” and a “snooze fest.” The film’s 61 percent Rotten Tomatoes score is below expectations for a Star Wars theatrical event, though trackers note that franchise goodwill and Memorial Day positioning may insulate it from the typical critical headwind. Disney is responding with an intensified family-targeting marketing push in the final stretch before opening.
Sources: Deadline
Focus Features’ Obsession Debuts at No. 3 With Strong $16.1 Million Opening
Focus Features and Blumhouse Productions’ psychological thriller Obsession opened in third place at the North American box office with $16.1 million from 2,615 theaters during the May 15–17 frame. The film earned an “A-” CinemaScore from opening-weekend audiences, a strong indicator of word-of-mouth potential in coming weeks. Critics were equally enthusiastic, awarding the film a 94 percent Rotten Tomatoes score. Obsession demonstrates that well-reviewed mid-budget genre films can still carve out meaningful business even when positioned against franchise holdovers, especially in the pre-holiday corridor before Memorial Day transforms the competitive landscape.
Sources: Variety
Upfronts 2026 Report Card: Disney and Netflix Sizzle as NBCUniversal Fizzles
The compressed 2026 television upfront presentations gave advertisers a clear picture of where premium video dollars are heading. Disney drew the loudest crowd response, closing its pitch with a performance by Olivia Rodrigo and on-stage appearances from Anne Hathaway and Robert Downey Jr. Netflix ads president Amy Reinhard positioned the streamer as “a more formidable” advertising partner, emphasizing proprietary ad tech and a programming slate spanning shows, movies, podcasts and live events. NBCUniversal, by contrast, ran long—two hours padded by song-and-dance numbers that failed to land—and received the weakest marks of the week from industry observers. YouTube and Amazon were also widely praised for crisp, data-led pitches.
Sources: Deadline
How Big Tech Took Over the 2026 Upfronts
The 2026 television upfronts marked a turning point in the annual advertiser pitch cycle, with YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon emerging as the week’s clear consensus winners while NBCUniversal received the weakest industry reviews. Tech platforms leveraged proprietary first-party data, AI-driven targeting, and shoppable ad formats that legacy broadcasters cannot match. Industry observers noted that for the first time, not a single timeslot announcement was made at any upfront presentation—a clean break from 70 years of broadcast tradition. The compressed three-day format drew fewer network journalists than prior years, itself a marker of linear television’s diminished standing among premium video advertisers.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter
Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro Pitches “Generations of Belonging” to Upfront Advertisers
Disney chief executive Josh D’Amaro addressed Madison Avenue at the company’s 2026 upfront presentation, making an emotional case for the brand loyalty and multi-generational fandoms that distinguish Disney properties from competitors. D’Amaro told the room that Disney creates “generations of belonging,” emphasizing how ESPN, Hulu, and Disney+ give advertisers simultaneous reach across live sports, streaming drama, and family entertainment under a single commercial relationship. The presentation ended with a live set by Olivia Rodrigo—a deliberate choice to underscore Disney’s hold on Gen Z audiences. Disney framed its proprietary data and targeting capabilities as superior to any other premium video seller in the market.
Sources: Deadline
Hollywood Studios Abandon Cannes 2026, Routing Resources Into Opening-Weekend Campaigns
For the first time since 2017, no film from a major Hollywood studio is premiering at the Cannes Film Festival (May 12–22, 2026). Senior marketing executives have redirected budgets that once funded French Riviera press campaigns toward domestic opening-weekend spend. One unnamed C-suite executive told Variety the calculus is simple: “We’re pumping every dollar into opening weekend.” Studios also cite fear of hostile French critical reception denting early buzz. The shift has been validated by Ryan Coogler’s Sinners and Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which bypassed festival circuits entirely and collected 10 Academy Awards between them.
Sources: Variety
Cannes Film Market 2026: AI Tools, Streaming Deals, and New Academy Palme d’Or Rule Drive Conversation
The Cannes Film Market (May 12–20, 2026) has drawn 16,000 participants from 140 countries, with three themes dominating floor conversation: artificial intelligence in production and distribution, the reconfigured relationship between streaming and theatrical, and a new Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ruling that automatically qualifies any Palme d’Or winner for the Best International Feature Film category. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions president Sanford Panitch used his market panel to argue that no streaming service has ever generated true global intellectual property, pointing to Japan’s theatrical market as evidence. Sales agents reported a late surge of fresh prestige packages after a quieter-than-expected opening to the Marché.
Sources: Deadline
A24 Leads Cannes Market Deal Flow With $17 Million Acquisition of Jordan Firstman Debut
A24’s acquisition of debut feature Club Kid, directed by Jordan Firstman, for a reported $17 million was described by deal-watchers as the shot of adrenaline the Cannes market needed following a quieter-than-expected opening. The Marché du Film (May 12–20) drew 16,000 registered participants from 140 countries but saw fewer giant-package sales than in prior years, with producers and sales companies pivoting toward leaner concepts with defined theatrical identities. Firstman’s film competed in the Cannes main competition as part of a festival that saw Hollywood largely absent, leaving prestige acquisitions from independent distributors to drive the market’s deal narrative.
Sources: Variety
Paramount+ Launches Farm-to-Table Emmy FYC Campaign for The Madison
Paramount+’s Yellowstone spinoff The Madison launched an experiential Emmy For Your Consideration campaign at Awards HQ in Los Angeles on May 18, 2026, featuring a farm-to-table dining concept that extends the show’s Montana ranch setting into the FYC event space. Created by Taylor Sheridan and starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell, The Madison is competing across 20 Emmy categories via 27 total submissions following its freshman season. The show generated 8 million views in its first 10 days on Paramount+ and has been renewed for a third season. The FYC strategy mirrors the ranch-to-table ethos central to the show’s identity, aiming to give Emmy voters an immersive experience.
Sources: Variety
Top Gun 40th Anniversary Re-Release Earns $3.1 Million Opening, Lands at No. 8
Paramount Pictures’ simultaneous re-release of Top Gun (1986) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022) for the original film’s 40th anniversary opened at No. 8 with $3.1 million from 2,295 theaters during the May 15–17 weekend, bringing the combined package’s total to $4.8 million including Thursday previews. The pairing is a premium nostalgia play, giving theaters a prestige offering during the pre-Memorial Day corridor while allowing Paramount to reactivate its most financially successful franchise outside of Mission: Impossible. The campaign arrives as the studio ramps toward a pledged expansion to at least 15 theatrical releases annually following the Skydance acquisition.
Sources: Deadline
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Released | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | Apr 24 | $26.1M | $282.8M |
| 2 | The Devil Wears Prada 2 | May 1 | $18.0M | $175.9M |
| 3 | Obsession | May 15 | $16.1M | $16.1M |
| 4 | Mortal Kombat II | May 8 | $13.4M | $62.2M |
| 5 | The Sheep Detectives | May 8 | $9.3M | $29.7M |
| 6 | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Apr 3 | $4.5M | $418.6M |
| 7 | Project Hail Mary | Mar 20 | $3.9M | $334.9M |
| 8 | Top Gun / Top Gun: Maverick (Re-release) | May 15 | $3.1M | $4.8M |
| 9 | In the Grey | May 15 | $3.0M | $3.0M |
| 10 | Is God Is | May 15 | $2.2M | $2.2M |
| 11 | Hokum | May 1 | $1.3M | $15.4M |
| 12 | Shrek (25th Anniversary Re-release) | May 15 | $1.3M | $1.3M |
| 13 | Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway | May 15 | $810K | $810K |
| 14 | Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft | May 8 | $800K | $9.3M |
| 15 | The Wizard of the Kremlin | May 15 | $483K | $483K |
| 16 | Lee Cronin’s The Mummy | Apr 17 | $150K | $29.1M |
| 17 | Deep Water | May 1 | $105K | $4.2M |
| 18 | Animal Farm | May 1 | $87K | $5.4M |
| 19 | The Drama | Apr 3 | $86K | $48.0M |
| 20 | Blue Heron | Apr 17 | $77K | $420K |
Source: Box Office Mojo · Weekend of May 15–17, 2026 · Domestic estimates
Curated by JD · samwise.agency