Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
The Odyssey Set to Pass Oppenheimer’s Lifetime Domestic Gross on Day 13
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is projected to surpass the domestic lifetime gross of Oppenheimer on its 13th day of release—Wednesday, July 29—crossing $330 million at the North American box office. By comparison, Nolan’s multi-Oscar-winning Oppenheimer required 595 days to reach that same domestic total. The milestone will rank The Odyssey as Nolan’s third-highest-grossing domestic film ever, behind only The Dark Knight ($534.9M) and The Dark Knight Rises ($448.1M). The Odyssey opened July 17, grossing $123.5 million in its debut weekend before holding to a 30% drop and a second-weekend gross of $87 million.
Sources: Deadline
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Tracking for Biggest Opening of 2026
Spider-Man: Brand New Day, starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jon Bernthal, is tracking to record the biggest domestic opening of 2026, with Deadline projecting a $180M–$190M debut when it opens July 31. The National Research Group is forecasting $195M, while Box Office Pro projects as high as $230M–$250M. Any result would surpass Toy Story 5’s $159M domestic opening, the previous year-to-date record. The film will not receive IMAX screens — which remain dedicated to The Odyssey — and Disney is instead emphasizing Dolby Cinema and premium large-format venues as its exhibition strategy.
Sources: Deadline
Sony Releases Jumanji: Open World Trailer Featuring the Original Cast
Sony Pictures released the official trailer Wednesday for Jumanji: Open World, the third film in the franchise directed by Jake Kasdan. Returning stars Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan reprise their avatar roles as the Jumanji game breaks free from its digital confines and invades the real world—leaving the group trapped in “demo mode.” Rhys Darby, Nick Jonas, and Brittany O’Grady also appear in the cast. Sony has slated the film for a December 2026 release, positioning it as a holiday tentpole. The trailer launch kicks off the studio’s marketing campaign for the anticipated sequel.
Sources: Deadline
Hadestown: The Musical Opens to $9.7M, Sets Bleecker Street Record
Hadestown: The Musical, distributed by Bleecker Street and LD Entertainment, debuted to $9.69 million across 1,949 theaters on its opening weekend of July 25–27—the second-biggest domestic opening for a live show capture since Hamilton. The result set a record for Bleecker Street. The film ranked fourth at the domestic box office during the weekend. Bleecker Street and partner LD Entertainment cited “extraordinary response and demand” in announcing an expanded theatrical run beyond the film’s initially planned five-day engagement. The distributor’s new event cinema label Crosswalk is managing the extended engagements.
Sources: Deadline
Film Finances and Media Guarantors to Merge, Creating Largest Completion Bond Firm
Film Finances (FFI) and Media Guarantors are merging to create the largest completion bond firm serving independent film. Under the combined structure, Media Guarantors founder Fred Milstein will serve as CEO, with Film Finances EVP Steve Berman as President and Greg Trattner moving to Executive Chairman. The merger brings together FFI, founded in the UK in 1950, with Media Guarantors, which was acquired by CAC Group in 2024. Completion bonds guarantee that a production will be completed on time and on budget, protecting investors, banks, and distributors—making consolidation in this niche a significant development for independent film financing.
Sources: Screen Daily
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Odyssey | Jul 17 | $87.0M | $286.4M |
| 2 | Moana | Jul 11 | $10.5M | $102.5M |
| 3 | Toy Story 5 | Jun 20 | $10.0M | $448.6M |
| 4 | Hadestown: The Musical | Jul 24 | $9.7M | $9.7M |
| 5 | Minions & Monsters | Jun 30 | $9.6M | $155.4M |
| 6 | The Invite | Jun 26 | $2.6M | $19.8M |
| 7 | Evil Dead Burn | Jul 11 | $2.6M | $29.2M |
| 8 | Young Washington | Jul 3 | $2.0M | $45.0M |
| 9 | Motor City | Jul 24 | $1.6M | $1.6M |
| 10 | Obsession | May 16 | $1.5M | $261.4M |
| 11 | Jana Nayagan | Jul 22 | $740K | $1.4M |
| 12 | Disclosure Day | Jun 12 | $650K | $116.0M |
| 13 | Supergirl | Jun 26 | $630K | $71.5M |
| 14 | Her Private Hell | Jul 24 | $530K | $530K |
| 15 | Backrooms | May 29 | $326K | $196.8M |
| 16 | Scary Movie | Jun 5 | $126K | $108.2M |
| 17 | Jackass: Best and Last | Jun 26 | $87K | $18.2M |
| 18 | Star Wars: Mandalorian & Grogu | May 22 | $73K | $177.7M |
| 19 | Mary Oliver: Saved by Beauty | Jul 3 | $54.4K | $280K |
| 20 | Reading Lolita in Tehran | Jul 11 | $47.5K | $73.5K |
Source: Box Office Mojo · Weekend estimates
Curated by JD · samwise.agency