Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Saturday, May 30, 2026
A24’s The Backrooms Opens to Estimated $76–$79 Million, Setting Studio Record
The Backrooms, co-produced by A24 and Chernin Entertainment, launched to an estimated $76–$79 million opening weekend at 3,442 theaters, shattering A24’s Thursday-night preview record with $10.4 million—nearly four times the studio’s previous best set by Civil War. Directed by Kane Parsons, 20—A24’s youngest feature director—and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, the film was produced for $10 million alongside Atomic Monster, Blumhouse, 21 Laps, and Odd Fellow. Parsons originated the Backrooms mythology at age 16 on Reddit and 4chan; the IP has accumulated 190 million-plus YouTube views. An 87% under-35 audience share since Thursday underscores the property’s digital-native roots.
Sources: Deadline
Obsession Posts Unprecedented +5% Third-Weekend Gain, Crossing $100 Million
Obsession posted an unprecedented +5% gain in its third weekend, earning an estimated $25 million across 2,780 theaters and pushing its cumulative domestic total past $100 million. The previous weekend’s gross was $23.96 million. Directed by YouTube creator Curry Barker and distributed by Focus Features and Blumhouse, the feature was produced for just $750,000. Obsession earned approximately $7 million on its third Friday, signaling continued audience momentum. The film opened May 15 at 2,780 theaters and has maintained that count through three consecutive frames, an unusual pattern for a micro-budget release.
Sources: Deadline
Project Hail Mary Wins Best of Show at 2026 Golden Trailer Awards; AV Squad Takes Agency of the Year
Project Hail Mary took Best of Show at the 2026 Golden Trailer Awards with its “Chance” trailer, created by Amazon MGM and Wild Card Creative. The ceremony ran May 28–29 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, hosted by Morgan Jay. Disney led all studios with 29 prizes; Warner Bros. Discovery tallied 22 wins, and Requiem entered the evening leading all films with 34 nominations. AV Squad won Agency of the Year for the third consecutive time, collecting 13-plus awards. One Battle After Another, Weapons, and Sinners each took three prizes.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline
Marcia Lucas, Oscar-Winning Star Wars Editor and Former Spouse of George Lucas, Dies at 80
Marcia Lucas, the Oscar-winning editor whose work shaped the original Star Wars trilogy, died May 30, 2026, in Rancho Mirage, California. She was 80. The cause was cancer. Lucas won the Academy Award for editing Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope (1977) and received an additional nomination for American Graffiti. A former spouse of George Lucas, she also edited Taxi Driver, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and New York New York —all directed by Martin Scorsese—as well as Return of the Jedi. Her death was reported by Deadline and Variety.
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Backrooms | May 29 | $77.0M | $77.0M |
| 2 | Obsession | May 15 | $25.0M | $101.0M |
| 3 | The Mandalorian and Grogu | May 22 | $24.0M | $136.0M |
| 4 | Michael | Apr 24 | $14.0M | $355.0M |
| 5 | The Devil Wears Prada 2 | May 1 | $8.0M | $211.0M |
| 6 | The Breadwinner | May 29 | $7.5M | $7.5M |
| 7 | Pressure | May 29 | $5.0M | $5.0M |
| 8 | The Sheep Detectives | May 8 | $5.0M | $55.0M |
| 9 | Passenger | May 22 | $4.0M | $17.0M |
| 10 | Mortal Kombat II | May 8 | $2.0M | $75.0M |
| 11 | I Love Boosters | May 22 | $1.5M | $5.0M |
| 12 | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Mar 27 | $1.2M | $425.0M |
| 13 | Project Hail Mary | Mar 13 | $0.8M | $340.0M |
| 14 | In the Grey | May 8 | $0.3M | $5.3M |
| 15 | Is God Is | May 8 | $0.3M | $4.4M |
| 16 | Hokum | May 1 | $0.1M | $16.6M |
| 17 | Hoppers | Feb 27 | $0.04M | $166.0M |
| 18 | Silent Friend | May 8 | $0.03M | $0.25M |
| 19 | Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway | May 15 | $0.02M | $1.1M |
| 20 | Blue Heron | Apr 17 | $0.02M | $0.54M |
Source: Box Office Mojo · Weekend estimates (Weekend 22, May 29–31, 2026 — in progress)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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