Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Monday, July 6, 2026
Angel Studios’ “Young Washington” Posts $20.8M Opening; Sequel “1776” Announced
Angel Studios scored its best live-action opening with “Young Washington,” director Jon Erwin’s historical period pic hauling in a $20.8M debut against a $15M forecast. The film played strongest in Mountain, Midwest, and South regions — driving 67% of the weekend take — and earned a CinemaScore A with an 81% PostTrak definite recommend. Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt rallied fans on social media, calling the film “like The Revenant, like Pride and Prejudice, like Braveheart.” Director Erwin immediately announced sequel “1776” is already in development, extending the Revolutionary War saga into America’s 250th anniversary moment.
Sky Acquires ITV in £1.6B Deal, Reshaping British Broadcasting
Sky has acquired ITV’s television network operations in a £1.6 billion ($2.1B) deal, folding a crown jewel of British broadcasting into the NBCUniversal empire. Love Island, Coronation Street, and I’m a Celebrity will remain free-to-air. ITV Studios — the production arm behind those series — was carved out and will remain separately listed. Sky separately agreed to sell Love Productions (The Great British Bake Off) to ITV Studios for £200M. Sky also signed a £2.1B output deal with ITV Studios through 2032. The combined Sky-ITV platform holds 18.3% of UK viewing share, nearly matching YouTube’s 18.6%.
Venice Film Festival to Honor George Clooney With Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement
The Venice Film Festival will honor George Clooney with its Golden Lion for lifetime achievement. Festival director Alberto Barbera praised Clooney as “a complete and charismatic artist” who has “crossed the genres with rare versatility,” citing films from Three Kings and Syriana to Ocean’s Eleven and The Descendants. Clooney, who owns a home in Italy’s Lake Como region and was married in Venice, quipped the honor “probably means I’m old, but I’ll take it.” He has an upcoming cameo in Netflix’s “Call My Agent! The Movie” and was recently an exec producer on thriller series “The Agency.”
Netflix Challenges French Investment Rules, Calls for Spending Cap
Netflix has filed an appeal before France’s Council of State challenging new “diversity” sub-quotas that would double its mandatory investment in animation, documentaries, and live performance. In an op-ed first published in French daily Le Monde, Netflix VP of Content Pauline Dauvin argued the rules — which apply only to streamers, not traditional broadcasters — “cross a line” and threaten genuine creative freedom. Netflix currently invests €250 million annually in French productions and warns the obligations are growing unsustainable. Prime Video and Disney+ have also appealed the same regulations. Netflix separately lost a Belgian appeal over spending obligations in March 2026.
Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Draws 11.2M Viewers, Up 59% Year-Over-Year
Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks drew 11.2 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo — the franchise’s largest audience since 2018 and a 59% jump in total viewers from 2025. The double milestone of America’s 250th anniversary and the telecast’s own 50th edition supercharged interest. Peacock hours watched were up 140% vs. 2025, while the primary 8–10 PM NBC airing alone drew 5.1 million — the best single-broadcast since 2019. A new 11:30 PM repeat added additional reach. Performers included Noah Kahan, Post Malone, Salt-N-Pepa, and Blake Shelton, produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment for NBC.
Tom Holland on Filming Nolan’s All-IMAX “The Odyssey,” Opening July 17
Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” opens July 17 as the first film shot entirely on IMAX cameras — a technical first across Nolan’s eight-film IMAX career. Tom Holland, who plays Telemachus alongside Matt Damon’s Odysseus, told Fandango he initially feared Nolan disliked his performance when the director kept cutting — not realizing IMAX magazines hold only three minutes of film. Nolan said his goal was to inspire other filmmakers to shoot in full IMAX: “I just want to go see somebody else’s film when they do it this way.” The massive ensemble also stars Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, and Charlize Theron, among many others.
“Obsession” Surpasses $400M Globally, Proving Gen Z’s Theatrical Appetite
“Obsession,” directed by YouTuber Curry Barker, has surpassed $400 million globally — including $245M domestically and $157M overseas — after eight weekends in theaters. The Focus Features release was produced for $750,000 and acquired for $14 million at TIFF 2025. Ticket sales defied convention by rising for four consecutive weekends after opening, powered by Gen Z and TikTok audiences. Producer Jason Blum (Blumhouse-Atomic Monster) told Variety: “There’s a new generation of moviegoers declaring a very specific taste for horror movies that is quite left-of-center.” A24’s “Backrooms,” also YouTuber-directed, has hit $347M worldwide on a similar trajectory.
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minions & Monsters | Jul 3 | $36.4M | $61.4M |
| 2 | Toy Story 5 | Jun 20 | $31.0M | $366.3M |
| 3 | Young Washington | Jul 4 | $20.8M | $20.8M |
| 4 | Supergirl | Jun 27 | $9.6M | $58.5M |
| 5 | Disclosure Day | Jun 13 | $6.0M | $105.3M |
| 6 | Obsession | May 16 | $5.3M | $245.3M |
| 7 | Backrooms | May 30 | $3.3M | $190.5M |
| 8 | Jackass: Best and Last | Jun 27 | $2.7M | $13.8M |
| 9 | Scary Movie | Jun 6 | $1.1M | $105.9M |
| 10 | The Invite | Jun 27 | $800K | $1.4M |
| 11 | Star Wars: Mandalorian & Grogu | May 23 | $600K | $176.8M |
| 12 | Michael | Apr 25 | $545K | $371.3M |
| 13 | Leviticus | Jun 20 | $344K | $6.6M |
| 14 | Maddie’s Secret | Jun 20 | $215K | $508K |
| 15 | Lucky Strike | Jun 27 | $196K | $1.4M |
| 16 | The Devil Wears Prada 2 | May 2 | $160K | $220.3M |
| 17 | The Death of Robin Hood | Jun 20 | $58K | $5.2M |
| 18 | Rose of Nevada | Jun 20 | $52K | $142K |
| 19 | Stop! That! Train! | Jun 13 | $48K | $4.0M |
| 20 | Peter Asher: Everywhere Man | Jun 20 | $45K | $104K |
Source: Box Office Mojo · Weekend estimates
Curated by JD · samwise.agency