Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
“Scary Movie” Franchise Sets Record With $55M Domestic Opening Weekend
“Scary Movie” opened to a $55 million domestic debut, setting a new franchise record and posting a franchise-best $105.5 million worldwide opening from 53 markets. Paramount and Miramax launched the comedy-horror revival in 3,490 theaters, with EntTelligence tracking 3.76 million admissions for the weekend — 41% of Saturday’s gross fell after 8 PM, pointing to a strong late-night audience skew. Director Michael Tiddes and star-writer Marlon Wayans delivered the result on a lean $30 million production budget. Overseas earnings reached $26 million, with $21.5 million from European markets leading the international haul.
Sources: Variety
“Michael” Becomes Lionsgate’s All-Time Highest-Grossing Film With $854.6M Global
Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” has crossed $854.6 million globally, claiming the title of Lionsgate’s all-time highest-grossing film — in reach of surpassing both The Hunger Games: Catching Fire ($865 million lifetime) and Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 ($868.5 million lifetime worldwide). Now deep into its seventh week of release, the film starring Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo, Miles Teller, and Nia Long has accumulated $346.6 million domestic through Thursday, June 5. Japan opens June 12, providing additional upside to a run that launched with a $97.2 million domestic opening weekend.
Sources: Deadline
FX Releases Final-Season Trailer for “The Bear” — All 8 Episodes Land June 25
FX released the trailer for The Bear Season 5, confirmed as the show’s final chapter. Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri) steps into the head chef role, steering the restaurant through overlapping crises — flooding, a suspended delivery account, a threatened building sale, and a critical funds shortfall. Former head chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) returns, delivering the line: “I look at you all, and I love you so much.” Creator Christopher Storer and co-director Hiro Murai helm the run, with all 8 episodes debuting on Hulu and FX on June 25, 2026.
Sources: Variety
OpenAI’s TBPN Talk Show Pivots Emmy Campaign to Outstanding Variety Series
OpenAI’s tech talk show TBPN made a last-minute pivot in its Emmy campaign, shifting from the emerging media category to “Outstanding Variety Series” (talk track). Acquired by Sam Altman’s OpenAI in March 2026, the daily three-hour program has broadcast live from Hollywood since January 2025 with hosts Jordi Hays and John Coogan. Its guests have ranged from Mark Zuckerberg and Sam Altman to Satya Nadella and Mark Cuban. The 11-person operation, led by president Dylan Abruscato, backed its Emmy push with Los Angeles billboards — a conventional campaign move for a decidedly unconventional show.
Sources: Variety
AMC’s Campaign for “The Vampire Lestat” Combines Rock Concert, Sphere Placement, and Faux Magazine Cover
AMC’s campaign for “The Vampire Lestat” — the retitled third season of Interview With the Vampire — centered on a June 2 rock concert at New York’s Beacon Theatre, where star Sam Reid performed six original songs composed for the series by Daniel Hart. AMC CMO Kim Granito oversaw the effort, which included Sphere Las Vegas placement, an Amazon Music Times Square billboard, a faux Rolling Stone cover, and the release of five songs via Lakeshore Records, accumulating roughly 3.5 million Spotify streams. The series premiered June 7 on AMC and AMC+.
Sources: Variety
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scary Movie (2026) | Jun 6 | $55.0M | $55.0M |
| 2 | Masters of the Universe | Jun 6 | $29.3M | $29.3M |
| 3 | Backrooms | May 30 | $25.9M | $135.1M |
| 4 | Obsession | May 16 | $25.6M | $152.1M |
| 5 | Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act | Jun 6 | $12.4M | $20.8M |
| 6 | Star Wars: Mandalorian & Grogu | May 23 | $10.0M | $155.8M |
| 7 | Michael | Apr 25 | $7.7M | $354.3M |
| 8 | The Breadwinner | May 30 | $3.4M | $13.8M |
| 9 | Pressure | May 30 | $3.0M | $11.2M |
| 10 | The Devil Wears Prada 2 | May 2 | $2.8M | $215.0M |
| 11 | The Sheep Detectives | May 9 | $2.2M | $59.4M |
| 12 | Power Ballad | May 30 | $1.3M | $1.5M |
| 13 | Passenger | May 23 | $0.6M | $17.4M |
| 14 | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Apr 4 | $0.6M | $428.5M |
| 15 | I Love Boosters | May 23 | $0.5M | $8.7M |
| 16 | Mortal Kombat II | May 9 | $0.5M | $79.1M |
| 17 | Trainspotting (rerelease) | rerelease | $0.2M | $16.7M |
| 18 | Hokum | May 2 | $59K | $17.0M |
| 19 | Time and Water | May 30 | $11K | $21K |
| 20 | Jinsei | Jun 6 | $9K | $9K |
Source: Box Office Mojo · Weekend estimates
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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