Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
A24’s ‘Backrooms’ Sets All-Time R-Rated June Horror Monday Record
A24’s Backrooms earned $7.669 million on Monday, June 2 — the best single Monday for an R-rated horror film in June, topping The Conjuring 2’s $4.3 million from June 2016. The Atomic Monster–Blumhouse co-production, directed by 20-year-old Kane Parsons, fell narrowly short of the all-time June horror Monday record held by Paramount’s PG-13–rated World War Z ($7.67 million, June 2013). Backrooms pushed its four-day domestic total to $89 million after a record-breaking $81.4 million opening weekend. Focus Features’ Obsession added $5.2 million Monday for a running total of $111 million, while Disney’s The Mandalorian and Grogu pulled $2.2 million for a $139 million domestic cume.
Sources: Deadline
A24 Debuts ‘Onslaught’ Trailer: Adria Arjona Battles Genetically Engineered Super Soldiers
A24 released the first trailer for Onslaught on June 2, introducing Adria Arjona as a former Army sniper who must protect her family from a rogue squad of genetically engineered super soldiers unleashed from a nearby military facility. Director Adam Wingard—whose credits include You’re Next and Godzilla vs. Kong—worked from a script by Simon Barrett, based on a story the two developed together. Also starring are Dan Stevens, Rebecca Hall, Drew Starkey, Michael Biehn, and Alex Pereira. Onslaught is slated to open September 4, 2026, against Paramount’s By Any Means and the Sundance horror entry Buddy. Producers include Aaron Ryder, Andrew Swett, Jeremy Platt, and Alexander Black.
Sources: Deadline
From YouTube to No. 1: How Digital-Native Filmmakers Rewrote Hollywood’s Summer Box Office
Two YouTube-born horror films—Backrooms and Obsession—dominated the Memorial Day weekend with a combined nearly $108 million, while Disney’s $165 million Star Wars film tumbled 70% in its second frame. Variety spoke with filmmakers including Jason Blum and James Wan about the generational shift. Blum argued YouTube directors “spend years making things for a live audience on the biggest platform in the world, and learning in real time what works.” Research firm Screen Engine found teenagers prefer concept-driven originals and primarily discover films through short-form social video. Both Kane Parsons (Backrooms) and Curry Barker (Obsession) built multi-million subscriber bases on YouTube before their theatrical debuts.
Sources: Variety
Netflix VP of Communications Emily Feingold Exits After Eight-Year Tenure
Netflix VP of Communications Emily Feingold is departing after eight years, the company confirmed June 2. Feingold joined Netflix in 2017 during the streamer’s rapid expansion into original programming, eventually overseeing all U.S. and Canada communications, including during the company’s embrace of advertising and live events. Her exit comes amid restructuring that brought in Dani Dudeck as Chief Communications Officer and Kelly Pakula as VP of Global Corporate Communications. “Emily has been a dedicated member of the Netflix team for eight years, making meaningful contributions throughout her tenure,” Dudeck said. Prior to Netflix, Feingold held senior communications roles at Ralph Lauren and The Weinstein Company.
Sources: Deadline
Will Arnett Joins Kristen Stewart in Prime Video’s NASA Limited Series ‘The Challenger’
Will Arnett has joined the cast of Prime Video’s limited series The Challenger alongside Kristen Stewart, Deadline confirmed June 2. The show chronicles the events leading to the 1986 Challenger disaster, NASA’s investigation, and Sally Ride’s historic journey as the first American woman in space. Stewart, in her television debut, plays Ride; Arnett portrays NASA Director of Flight Crew Operations George Abbey, who assigned Ride to the 1983 STS-7 mission. The Challenger is created by showrunner Maggie Cohn and adapted from Meredith Bagby’s book The New Guys. Big Swing Productions, Amblin Television, and Stewart’s Nevermind Pictures produce, with director James Hawes (Slow Horses).
Sources: Deadline
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Backrooms | May 29 | $81.5M | $81.5M |
| 2 | Obsession | May 15 | $26.4M | $104.8M |
| 3 | Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu | May 22 | $25.0M | $137.4M |
| 4 | Michael | Apr 24 | $11.7M | $339.9M |
| 5 | The Breadwinner | May 29 | $7.5M | $7.5M |
| 6 | The Devil Wears Prada 2 | May 1 | $5.9M | $209.4M |
| 7 | Pressure | May 29 | $5.8M | $5.8M |
| 8 | The Sheep Detectives | May 8 | $4.6M | $54.5M |
| 9 | Passenger | May 22 | $2.6M | $15.3M |
| 10 | Mortal Kombat II | May 8 | $2.0M | $77.8M |
| 11 | Tuner | May 22 | $1.7M | $1.8M |
| 12 | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Mar 27 | $1.4M | $427.1M |
| 13 | I Love Boosters | May 22 | $1.3M | $7.3M |
| 14 | Power Ballad | May 29 | $170K | $170K |
| 15 | Hokum | May 1 | $67K | $16.8M |
| 16 | Hoppers | Mar 6 | $41K | $166.0M |
| 17 | Silent Friend | May 8 | $31K | $306K |
| 18 | Shrek (25th Anniversary) | May 15 | $30K | $1.8M |
| 19 | Steal This Story, Please! | Apr 10 | $27K | $581K |
| 20 | Deep Water | May 1 | $16K | $4.3M |
Source: Box Office Mojo · Weekend estimates (May 29–31, 2026)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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