Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Verizon Reunites Austin Powers and Betty La Fea Casts for World Cup Push
Verizon is debuting a dual-franchise World Cup marketing push targeting rival carriers’ complicated pricing. An English-language spot reunites Mike Myers, Rob Lowe, Mindy Sterling, and Seth Green as their Austin Powers characters, with Dr. Evil unveiling “Menace Mobile.” A parallel Spanish-language campaign revives the cast of Yo Soy Betty, la Fea — the Guinness World Record holder as television’s most successful telenovela — premiering a new season after 25 years. Both spots launched June 17 across Fox, Telemundo, Disney, Paramount, Netflix, Hulu, and Roku, with out-of-home placements in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. Verizon’s “Simplicity Plan” push targets peak World Cup viewership across English and Spanish-language networks simultaneously.
Sources: Variety
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Trailer 2 Reveals Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk
Sony Pictures unveiled the second trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, delivering the film’s most anticipated casting reveal: Mark Ruffalo returning as Bruce Banner / Hulk alongside Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. The footage arrived as Holland completed a European press circuit, with a Madrid press appearance on June 15, and the Hulk inclusion converts months of unconfirmed rumor into confirmed casting. Zendaya also appears in the trailer. The reveal deepens Sony and Marvel Studios’ ongoing strategy of tethering the Spider-Man franchise to the broader MCU, positioning Brand New Day as an Avengers-adjacent tentpole event ahead of its theatrical release.
Sources: Deadline
Mike Myers Confirms Austin Powers 4 Is Happening
Mike Myers confirmed that Austin Powers 4 is happening — breaking a 24-year franchise silence at Trevor Noah’s World Cup Watch Party on June 17. When a fan asked whether a fourth installment was in the works, Myers gave a single word: “Yes.” He declined to elaborate further. The confirmation arrives as Myers reprises his role as Dr. Evil for a Verizon World Cup campaign, giving the moment the texture of a coordinated franchise revival rather than an offhand remark. Both the campaign and the sequel confirmation signal that Myers and his studio partners are actively rebuilding the Austin Powers IP — the last installment, Goldmember, was released in 2002.
Sources: Deadline
WIF and ReFrame Release Emmy FYC “Who to Watch” Guide
Women in Film (WIF) and ReFrame have released their annual Emmy FYC guide spotlighting women and gender-diverse creators ahead of Television Academy nominations. The “Who to Watch” guide is designed as a direct tool for Emmy voters navigating the current season’s candidates in underrepresented categories. The release targets the current peak FYC screening window, when Academy members are actively evaluating eligible titles. WIF and ReFrame frame the guide not as an industry-trade announcement but as a practical voter resource aimed at closing longstanding representation gaps in Emmy nominations across categories where women have historically been underrepresented.
Sources: Variety
Trump DOJ Clears Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Over Staff Objections
Senior Trump DOJ officials cleared the proposed merger between Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery, overruling career department lawyers who formally objected to the approval. Staff attorneys described the clearance as a process that “reeks of corruption,” arguing the deal poses competitive harms that standard antitrust review would reject. Paramount and WBD have maintained the combination is necessary for survival in a streaming-dominated market. The clearance moves the deal past a major hurdle; it still requires FCC review. If completed, the merger would unite the two studios’ combined streaming, film, and broadcast portfolios under a single parent company.
Sources: Variety
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disclosure Day | Jun 12 | $44.5M | $44.5M |
| 2 | Obsession | May 8 | $19.0M | $188.4M |
| 3 | Scary Movie | Jun 5 | $14.2M | $84.3M |
| 4 | Backrooms | May 29 | $11.5M | $160.3M |
| 5 | Masters of the Universe | Jun 5 | $8.9M | $47.0M |
| 6 | Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu | May 22 | $4.8M | $165.2M |
| 7 | Michael | Apr 24 | $4.2M | $362.8M |
| 8 | BTS World Tour ‘Arirang’ in Busan* | Jun 12 | $3.8M* | $3.8M* |
| 9 | The Furious | Jun 12 | $2.8M | $2.8M |
| 10 | Stop! That! Train! | Jun 12 | $2.0M | $2.0M |
| 11 | The Breadwinner | May 29 | $1.5M | $17.5M |
| 12 | The Sheep Detectives | May 8 | $1.4M | $62.4M |
| 13 | The Devil Wears Prada 2 | May 1 | $1.3M | $217.9M |
| 14 | Pressure | May 29 | $1.2M | $14.1M |
| 15 | The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act* | Jun 5 | $0.6M* | $23.4M* |
| 16 | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Apr 3 | $0.4M | $429.3M |
| 17 | Power Ballad | May 29 | $0.3M | $2.4M |
| 18 | Tuner | May 22 | $0.2M | $3.7M |
| 19 | I Love Boosters | May 22 | $0.2M | $9.2M |
| 20 | Passenger | May 22 | $0.2M | $17.9M |
Source: Box Office Mojo · Weekend June 12–14, 2026 · *Estimated
Curated by JD · samwise.agency