Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Friday, July 17, 2026
Nolan’s The Odyssey Sails to $15M Thursday Previews, Best Live-Action Night of 2026
Universal’s The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan, grossed an estimated $15 million in Thursday night previews—the biggest live-action preview night of 2026, ahead of Lionsgate’s Michael ($12.6M) and Legendary’s Dune: Part II ($12M). The film earned a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, the best for any Nolan film, surpassing Batman Begins and Oppenheimer. It ranks as Nolan’s third-best U.S. preview night ever, behind The Dark Knight Rises ($30.6M) and The Dark Knight ($18.5M). IMAX 70MM showtimes sold out a year in advance, with advance sales in the $30M–$40M range heading into the opening weekend.
Federal Court Sets Friday Hearing on State AGs’ Motion to Block Paramount-WBD Merger
A federal court has set a Friday, July 17 hearing on an emergency motion filed by 12 state attorneys general to temporarily block the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. The states are seeking a temporary restraining order as their antitrust lawsuit proceeds. U.S. District Judge P. Casey Pitts will hear arguments at 10 a.m. PT, with states pressing for a ruling by July 22—around the time the European Union is expected to issue its own decision. The U.S. Justice Department has already cleared the deal. Paramount has called the legal challenge “one of the weakest merger challenges in modern antitrust history.”
Netflix Q2 Revenue Up 13% to $12.56B; Stock Falls 9% on Weaker Q3 Guidance
Netflix reported second-quarter revenue of $12.56 billion—up 13.4% year over year and roughly in line with analyst expectations of $12.59 billion—but shares fell approximately 9% in after-hours trading on weaker-than-expected third-quarter guidance. Net income reached $3.4 billion (80 cents per share). Company executives pushed back on the notion that engagement equals view hours, saying “quality and variety” matter as much as raw watch time. The streamer said its advertising business remains on track to generate $3 billion in 2026, aided by NFL and FIFA Women’s World Cup live programming drawing new subscribers.
Netflix: About 300 Productions This Year Have Used Generative AI Across Pipeline
Netflix disclosed Thursday that roughly 300 productions across its 2026 slate incorporated generative AI somewhere in their pipeline—spanning concept, pre-visualization, post-production, and release. The company cited Glory (an Indian sports thriller), Brasil 70: A Saga do Tri (a Brazilian soccer miniseries), and The American Experiment (an American Revolution docuseries) as examples. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said on the Q2 earnings call that “it takes great artists to make something great, and AI is not changing that.” The figures appeared in Netflix’s investor letter, released to shareholders on Thursday, July 16.
Netflix H1 2026: His & Hers Leads with 104M Views; 97 Billion Hours Watched Overall
Netflix’s H1 2026 “What We Watched” report names crime thriller His & Hers as the platform’s most-watched series of the first half with 104 million views since its January 8 premiere. Bridgerton Season 4 placed second with 100 million views, while Harlan Coben’s I Will Find You took third with 64M views since launching June 18. Audiences watched a combined 97 billion hours of Netflix content in H1 2026, the platform’s highest recorded half-year viewing total. Five of the top ten most-watched series premiered during the same period—a marked shift from H2 2025, when established returning titles dominated.
Netflix to End Biannual Viewership Reports, Shifting to Annual Release Starting 2027
Netflix announced Thursday it will end its twice-yearly viewership reports starting in 2027, shifting to a single annual release beginning in Q1. The change, revealed in the company’s Q2 investor letter, comes after four years of biannual “What We Watched” reports. Netflix said the goal is to “keep the focus on our primary financial metrics—revenue and operating profit.” The decision arrives amid heightened scrutiny over viewership declines for returning series. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the company “is not seeing any material change” in second-season viewing compared to premieres, calling performances “within our bands of expectation.”
Sam Neill’s Agent Confirms Actor Died of Pneumonia, Correcting “Falsehoods”
Sam Neill’s agent confirmed Thursday that the New Zealand screen actor died of pneumonia, not from complications stemming from his publicly disclosed battle with lymphoma. Agent Philip Grenz issued the correction on behalf of the Neill family to address what he called “inaccurate and outright falsehoods” circulating in media reports about the actor’s cause of death. Neill, who died on Monday in Sydney, Australia, was 78. He had previously beaten lymphoma using CAR-T cell therapy before contracting pneumonia. He was widely known as a star of the Jurassic Park films.
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moana | Jul 11 | $43.1M | $43.1M |
| 2 | Minions & Monsters | Jul 4 | $21.2M | $108.9M |
| 3 | Toy Story 5 | Jun 20 | $19.0M | $404.3M |
| 4 | Evil Dead Burn | Jul 11 | $13.7M | $13.7M |
| 5 | Young Washington | Jul 4 | $6.9M | $33.6M |
| 6 | Obsession | May 16 | $3.8M | $253.4M |
| 7 | Supergirl | Jun 27 | $3.8M | $66.2M |
| 8 | Disclosure Day | Jun 13 | $3.4M | $111.5M |
| 9 | Backrooms | May 30 | $1.5M | $194.2M |
| 10 | Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass | Jul 11 | $899K | $899K |
| 11 | Jackass: Best and Last | Jun 27 | $766K | $17.3M |
| 12 | The Invite | Jun 27 | $575K | $7.4M |
| 13 | Scary Movie | Jun 6 | $415K | $107.5M |
| 14 | Michael | Apr 25 | $261K | $371.9M |
| 15 | Masters of the Universe | Jun 6 | $257K | $64.5M |
| 16 | Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu | May 23 | $203K | $177.3M |
| 17 | Maddie’s Secret | Jun 20 | $169K | $818K |
| 18 | Leviticus | Jun 20 | $118K | $7.0M |
| 19 | The Devil Wears Prada 2 | May 2 | $88K | $220.4M |
| 20 | Night Nurse | Jul 11 | $74K | $74K |
Source: Box Office Mojo · Weekend estimates · July 10–12, 2026
Curated by JD · samwise.agency