Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Saturday, May 9, 2026
‘Mortal Kombat II’ and ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ Battle for No. 1 on Mother’s Day Weekend
New Line Cinema’s Mortal Kombat II opened with $5.2 million in Thursday night previews and a Friday gross of $17.5 million at 3,503 theaters, setting up a neck-and-neck race with Disney’s The Devil Wears Prada 2 for the Mother’s Day weekend No. 1 spot. Both films are projected to earn $40 million to $42 million apiece by Sunday, with rivals suggesting either could top $50 million. The $80 million New Line production is targeting $70 million to $80 million globally. Amazon MGM Studios’ Sheep Detectives, starring Hugh Jackman, is tracking $13.6 million in its opening weekend at 3,457 theaters.
Sources: Deadline
‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ Outgrosses the Original at the Global Box Office
Disney’s The Devil Wears Prada 2 has officially surpassed the original film’s entire global lifetime gross of $326.5 million, achieving the milestone in its second weekend at the box office. The sequel opened to $77 million domestically and $233 million worldwide in its debut weekend and is now tracking toward a combined franchise total approaching $700 million alongside the 2006 original. The film marked the biggest domestic opening weekend for a traditional comedy since 2015 and the first time a female-skewing movie led the start of summer. Playing at 4,200 theaters in week two, the milestone underscores the continued appeal of legacy studio IP among adult audiences.
Sources: Deadline
TikTok and Fandango Launch In-App Movie Ticket Purchasing Tied to Billie Eilish Film
TikTok and Fandango have launched an in-app movie ticket purchasing feature in partnership with Paramount Pictures, enabling U.S. users to buy a promotional ticket directly through TikTok Shop via Fandango’s official product page. The campaign debuted alongside the release of Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) on May 8, creating a seamless path from content discovery to ticket purchase within the app. The concert film, co-directed by James Cameron and Billie Eilish, premiered at Westwood’s Village Theatre on May 6 before opening at 2,600 venues. The partnership extends TikTok’s Box Office Lift initiative, connecting ad exposure to verified ticket purchases.
Sources: Deadline
TV Upfronts 2026 Kick Off Monday With Eight Companies Competing Over Three Days
The television industry’s annual upfronts week returns to Manhattan next week, with eight companies presenting to advertisers over three days beginning Monday, May 11. NBCUniversal leads off at Radio City Music Hall with a set by Seth Meyers, followed by Fox at New York City Center and Amazon at the Beacon Theatre. Disney takes center stage Tuesday at the North Javits Center, while YouTube closes the week Wednesday at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Theatre. Overall upfront spending last year totaled $17.8 billion, down slightly from the prior year’s $18.4 billion, as digital platforms including YouTube and Amazon continue gaining ground from traditional TV budgets.
Sources: Deadline
New Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro Names Disney+ the Company’s Digital ‘Centerpiece’ as Streaming Income Surges 88 Percent
Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro used his first quarterly earnings call to position Disney+ as the “centerpiece” of the company’s digital strategy, declaring it will become “the primary relationship between Disney and its fans.” Disney’s fiscal Q2 2026 results showed streaming revenue up 13 percent to $5.49 billion, while operating income surged 88 percent to $582 million — breaking the double-digit operating margin threshold for the first time at 10.6 percent. D’Amaro also disclosed that Disney restructured its marketing operations, eliminating 1,000 positions, to increase spending efficiency across the company. Overall revenue rose 7 percent to $25.17 billion, beating Wall Street consensus expectations for the quarter.
Sources: Deadline
Golden Trailer Awards 2026 Nominations Favor Disney and ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’
The 2026 Golden Trailer Awards nominations pit Hollywood’s biggest campaigns against one another, with Disney leading all distributors at 144 nominations and HBO Max’s IT: Welcome to Derry earning the most of any single title with nine nominations. Warner Bros. Discovery followed with 79 nominations and Netflix with 62. Among other heavily nominated campaigns are Thunderbolts, F1, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. The ceremony is scheduled for May 28 at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills, hosted by comedian Morgan Jay. Trailer production companies including ZEALOT and Trailer Park Group are represented across the categories.
Sources: Deadline
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mortal Kombat II | May 8 | $41M | $41M |
| 2 | The Devil Wears Prada 2 | May 1 | $41M | $118M |
| 3 | Sheep Detectives | May 8 | $13.6M | $13.6M |
| 4 | Michael | Apr 24 | $9M | $193M |
| 5 | Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft (Live 3D) | May 8 | $7M | $7M |
| 6 | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Apr 3 | $6M | $409M |
| 7 | Project Hail Mary | Mar 20 | $4M | $322M |
| 8 | Hokum | May 1 | $2M | $8.4M |
| 9 | Lee Cronin’s The Mummy | Apr 17 | $1.2M | $28.6M |
| 10 | Animal Farm | May 1 | $1M | $4.3M |
| 11 | The Drama | Mar 27 | $400K | $47.4M |
| 12 | Hoppers | Mar 6 | $250K | $165.6M |
| 13 | Deep Water | May 1 | $150K | $2.3M |
| 14 | One Spoon of Chocolate | May 1 | $100K | $658K |
| 15 | You, Me & Tuscany | Apr 10 | $80K | $18.6M |
| 16 | Mother Mary | Apr 17 | $75K | $2.4M |
| 17 | A Great Awakening | Mar 13 | $55K | $8M |
| 18 | The Christophers | Apr 10 | $55K | $1.7M |
| 19 | Fuze | Apr 24 | $35K | $1.5M |
| 20 | Ready or Not 2: Here I Come | Mar 20 | $28K | $23M |
Source: Box Office Mojo · Weekend estimates, May 8–10, 2026
Curated by JD · samwise.agency