Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Friday, July 31, 2026
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Earns Record $50M+ in Thursday Previews, Tracking for Historic Opening
Spider-Man: Brand New Day collected more than $50 million in Thursday previews—surpassing Spider-Man: No Way Home’s previous franchise-best and placing the film third all-time domestically, behind only Avengers: Endgame ($60 million) and Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($57 million). Tracking services now project a domestic opening weekend between $260 million and $280 million from 4,300 North American theaters, which would make it the year’s biggest domestic debut. The Sony and Marvel Studios film—starring Tom Holland and Zendaya—carries a 98% Rotten Tomatoes audience score, the highest of any live-action Spider-Man picture, and $80 million in advance ticket sales heading into opening weekend.
Sources: Deadline
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Sets All-Time Hollywood Marketing Record With $309M Promo Campaign
Sony’s promotional campaign for Spider-Man: Brand New Day has generated a worldwide media value of $309 million—topping the previous Hollywood record of $288 million set by Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019. The campaign spans 26 global markets with brand partners including BMW, Liquid I.V., Little Caesars, McDonald’s, and Samsung. Activations range from Times Square billboards and PUBG Mobile in-game integrations to McDonald’s Happy Meal toys distributed across 80 international markets. Sony positioned the Tom Holland film as “a movie for everybody,” targeting families and young adults simultaneously, and generated $80 million in advance ticket sales before opening day.
Sources: Deadline
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey Surpasses Oppenheimer’s Lifetime U.S. Gross in Just 13 Days
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey surpassed Oppenheimer’s entire domestic lifetime gross of $330 million on its 13th day of release, clearing that mark with a $13.6 million Wednesday take that lifted its U.S. running total to $334.2 million. Oppenheimer—Nolan’s seven-time Oscar winner—required 595 days to reach the same threshold, including Imax re-releases. The Odyssey now ranks as Nolan’s third-highest domestic grosser ever, behind only The Dark Knight ($534.9 million) and The Dark Knight Rises ($448.1 million). Rival studios project the film’s third weekend at approximately $45 million, a remarkable hold, as Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens nationwide.
Sources: Deadline
Disney Sells A+E Global Media Stake to Hearst in All-Cash Billion-Dollar Deal
Disney is selling its 50% stake in A+E Global Media—parent company of A&E, History, and Lifetime—to joint-venture partner Hearst in an all-cash deal worth more than $1 billion, marking the first major strategic divestiture under new CEO Josh D’Amaro. Hearst, which holds the other 50% of the venture, will become sole owner of the long-running cable network group. A+E Global Media president Paul Buccieri will continue to lead the company following the transaction. The deal is expected to be confirmed at Disney’s earnings call and reflects the broader industry shift away from traditional cable assets toward streaming-first operations.
Sources: Deadline
Wonder Man Axed at Disney+ Despite Earlier Season 2 Renewal
Disney+ has canceled Wonder Man after one season, reversing a renewal the streamer announced in March 2026. The Marvel Studios Hollywood dramedy starred Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as aspiring actor Simon Williams and earned strong reviews along with an Emmy nomination for Abdul-Mateen in outstanding lead actor in a comedy series. Despite the renewal, a writers’ room was never opened for a second season, per industry sources. Disney did not publicly explain the reversal. The cancellation comes as Disney continues to review costs across its streaming slate. Abdul-Mateen responded publicly to news of the cancellation, thanking fans for their support.
Sources: Deadline
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Odyssey | Jul 18 | $90.0M | $289.4M |
| 2 | Moana | Jul 11 | $10.6M | $102.6M |
| 3 | Hadestown: The Musical | Jul 25 | $10.3M | $10.3M |
| 4 | Toy Story 5 | Jun 13 | $10.2M | $448.7M |
| 5 | Minions & Monsters | Jul 4 | $9.8M | $155.5M |
| 6 | Evil Dead Burn | Jul 11 | $2.8M | $29.4M |
| 7 | The Invite | Jun 27 | $2.6M | $19.8M |
| 8 | Young Washington | Jul 3 | $1.9M | $44.9M |
| 9 | Motor City | Jul 25 | $1.7M | $1.7M |
| 10 | Obsession | May 9 | $1.5M | $261.4M |
| 11 | Jana Nayagan | Jul 25 | $1.4M | $1.4M |
| 12 | Supergirl | Jun 27 | $0.8M | $71.6M |
| 13 | Disclosure Day | Jun 6 | $0.7M | $116.0M |
| 14 | Her Private Hell | Jul 25 | $0.5M | $0.5M |
| 15 | Pinocchio: Unstrung | Jul 25 | $0.4M | $0.4M |
| 16 | Backrooms | May 23 | $0.3M | $196.8M |
| 17 | Haunted Heist | Jul 25 | $0.3M | $0.3M |
| 18 | Scary Movie | May 30 | $0.1M | $108.2M |
| 19 | Jackass: Best and Last | Jun 27 | $0.1M | $18.2M |
| 20 | Brunello: The Gracious Visionary | Jul 25 | $0.1M | $0.1M |
Source: Box Office Mojo · Weekend Jul 24–26, 2026 estimates
Curated by JD · samwise.agency