A24’s “The Drama” Lands $28M Global Debut on the Back of a Viral Wedding Campaign

A24 scored one of its biggest wide-release openings in studio history this Easter weekend, as Zendaya and Robert Pattinson’s The Drama earned $14.4 million domestically and $28 million globally from 3,087 theaters. The campaign — built over months — opened with a fake engagement announcement planted in the Boston Globe in December, culminating in a one-day Las Vegas wedding chapel where Zendaya made a surprise appearance and Alana Haim spun as DJ. Zendaya’s entire press wardrobe tracked the wedding tradition of “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” The result: A24’s second-biggest wide-release opening, trailing only Civil War.

Sources: IndieWire · Deadline · Variety

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Super Mario Galaxy Movie Tops $300M Domestic in Second Weekend with $69M Frame

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie held firmly at No. 1 this Easter weekend, adding $69 million domestically to reach $308 million cumulative — and crossing $600 million globally in only two weekends. Universal’s franchise sequel benefited from an expansive campaign featuring theme-park integrations at Universal Studios and a strong social media presence timed to spring break attendance. The opening five-day total of $191 million ranks among Universal’s best-ever animated launches. Project Hail Mary held at No. 2 with $28 million in its fourth weekend, lifting its domestic total to $258 million — an Amazon MGM Studios franchise record.

Sources: Deadline · Hollywood Reporter

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Was A24’s Wedding Campaign for “The Drama” a Marketing Masterclass or Deliberate Misdirection?

Not everyone is applauding A24’s campaign for The Drama. Some viewers expecting a romantic comedy — based on early marketing emphasising the couple’s joyful wedding — felt blindsided by the film’s darker, more confrontational tone. Variety’s analysis asked whether A24’s mystery-box approach prioritises buzz over transparency, noting that the same “misleading” strategy also drove social conversation and word-of-mouth. March for Our Lives called out the campaign as “deeply misaligned” after plot details emerged. Industry observers are watching box office closely: if a strong opening gives way to a steep second-weekend drop, it may validate concerns that clever campaigns burn audience trust rather than build it.

Sources: Variety · The Wrap

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Apple TV+ Opens Emmy FYC House at Hollywood Athletic Club with Severance, The Studio Lineup

Apple TV+ opened its Emmy For Your Consideration house at the Hollywood Athletic Club this week, running April 24 through May 21 for TV Academy members. The venue features immersive activations tied to Apple’s strongest contenders: visitors can make a Lumon Industries employee badge from Severance, sit in a screening room as studio executives from The Studio, or visit a Slow Horses—themed bar. Featured panelists include Ben Stiller, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Kathryn Hahn, and Brian Tyree Henry. Apple is mounting campaigns for Severance, Shrinking, The Studio, Presumed Innocent, Dope Thief, and Your Friends & Neighbors.

Sources: Hollywood Reporter

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Variety Entertainment Marketing Summit Lines Up Pam Abdy, Pearlena Igbokwe for April 22

Variety’s 2026 Entertainment Marketing Summit — presented by Deloitte — has finalised its speaker program for the April 22 Los Angeles event. Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group co-chair Pam Abdy and NBCU Television Chairman Pearlena Igbokwe lead the keynote slate, joined by Apple Services VP Oliver Schusser and Netflix Games President Alain Tascan. Panel topics cover AI-driven innovation in marketing, the creator economy, experiential event marketing, and how studio distribution chiefs are building campaigns in a market now contending with Netflix’s expanding theatrical ambitions. Universal’s Dwight Caines and Paramount’s Josh Goldstine will also appear.

Sources: Variety · Variety

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Netflix’s Warner Bros. Acquisition Puts 45-Day Window and Studio Marketing Infrastructure at Stake

Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has pledged to preserve a 45-day theatrical window for Warner Bros. films once the streamer’s $83 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery closes — a transaction expected to take 12 to 18 months to finalise. Sarandos told exhibitors that Netflix will release Warner Bros. films theatrically and maintain the existing paid-download home entertainment window, meaning no streaming access until Day 46. Industry analysts warn that consolidating Netflix’s and Warner Bros.’ marketing and distribution departments could fundamentally reshape how studio campaigns are structured globally, with significant implications for agency relationships and media-buying strategy.

Sources: Variety · Variety

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McCann Names TRAVERSE32 President Brendan Gaul Its First Global Chief Entertainment Officer

Creative network McCann has appointed TRAVERSE32 global president Brendan Gaul as its first-ever global chief entertainment officer, deepening the agency’s push into long-form branded content and entertainment property development. TRAVERSE32, an IPG Mediabrands content studio that Gaul co-founded, will move under the McCann network umbrella while Gaul continues to run day-to-day operations. In his new role, he will lead the development of entertainment properties — series, films, podcasts, and live events — as a core marketing vehicle for McCann clients. The appointment signals growing advertiser appetite for narrative-led campaigns that transcend traditional advertising formats.

Sources: Adweek

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You, Me & Tuscany Opens to $11M; Faces of Death Debuts in Easter Weekend Competition

Two new wide releases divided Easter weekend audiences. Universal’s romantic comedy You, Me & Tuscany — starring Halle Bailey and Régé-Jean Page, produced by Will Packer and shot on Italy’s Amalfi Coast — debuted to $11 million for a solid No. 3 finish, earning an A– CinemaScore from audiences responding warmly to its crowd-pleasing tone. IFC’s Faces of Death, Daniel Goldhaber’s horror reimagining of the 1978 cult title, launched to low single digits. Hoppers continued to hold in fifth place with $4.5 million in its fifth weekend, bringing the Disney/Pixar film’s domestic total to approximately $157 million.

Sources: Gold Derby · The Wrap

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Box Office — Currently in Theatres

Source: Box Office Mojo · Weekend estimates — positions 7–20 are estimates pending final actuals