Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Friday, June 12, 2026
Universal’s “Disclosure Day” Opens to $12M Worldwide First Day, Eyes $65M+ Global Weekend
Steven Spielberg’s $115M original thriller opened June 12 to approximately $12M worldwide on its first day — $6M in domestic previews and $6M overseas. The Emily Blunt-led alien conspiracy film projects a $65M+ global opening weekend. Universal’s marketing team spent roughly $80M and deliberately backloaded the campaign to protect story mysteries, deploying Spielberg on TikTok with creator Reece Feldman, Michelle Obama’s podcast “IMO,” CinemaCon and SXSW to reach Gen Z audiences. Holding 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, strong word-of-mouth could extend its run well into summer. The film needs approximately $300M globally to break even, making critical reception and legs crucial.
Sources: Deadline
Brands Are Betting on Microseries as Their Next Big Marketing Vehicle
Ahead of Cannes Lions, a format born in Asia is now reshaping how brands reach audiences. Microseries — ultra-short vertical shows running 90 seconds to 2 minutes — offer $100K–$300K budgets for 60-episode runs: a fraction of one Super Bowl spot. P&G’s “The Golden Pear Affair” integrates its Native personal-care brand into a 50-episode heist soap; Issa Rae’s “Screen Time” scored 75 million views in one week on TikTok and PineDrama. Range Media Partners–Google, Fox and Peacock are now commissioning branded vertical content. The first dedicated microdramas festival — the ALZA Festival — is planned for New York this fall.
Sources: Variety
Emmy Voting Begins With 555 Series in the Race, Down 7.5%
Television Academy members opened their nominating ballots Thursday to 555 program submissions, down 7.5% from last year’s 600 as voting runs through June 22. Variety specials (pre-recorded) fell most sharply, to 66 from 89. In a first, OpenAI’s tech show TBPN entered the variety series category alongside “SNL,” “The Late Show” and “The Daily Show.” Networks’ own marketing teams submitted companion shows — “Stranger Things 5: Stranger Scenes” and “Inside the Pitt” — as stand-alone short-form Emmy entries, a growing brand-building tactic. Drama submissions fell to 110 while comedy rose to 71. Nominations announced July 8.
Sources: Variety
Apple TV+ Sets “Slow Horses” Season 6 for September 16
Apple TV+ will launch Season 6 of “Slow Horses” on September 16, with six weekly episodes dropping every Wednesday through October 21. The season adapts Mick Herron’s novels “Joe Country” and “Slough House,” placing Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) at the center of a “fatally high-stakes game of retaliation and revenge” that sends the team on the run. Gary Oldman and Jack Lowden return; BAFTA winner Lenny Rush joins as newcomer. Emmy-winning director Adam Randall returns for the season. The spy thriller has earned multiple BAFTA and Emmy nominations since its Apple TV+ debut in 2022.
Sources: Variety
“SNL” Cuts Emmy Submissions to 11 of 20 Hosts as Industry Acting Bids Fall 8%
As Emmy nomination voting opened Thursday, NBC submitted just 11 of 20 “SNL” Season 51 hosts for guest acting — down from all 20 last year. In: Ariana Grande (season-high 5.4 million viewers), Olivia Rodrigo, Ryan Gosling, Bad Bunny, Melissa McCarthy and Colman Domingo. Out: Sabrina Carpenter, Glen Powell, Matt Damon and Alexander Skarsgård. Across the full ballot, acting submissions fell 8% to 1,573 from 1,706. “The Boys” and “SNL” led all series with 28 performer submissions each. Lead acting races will produce only five nominees this year rather than six. Emmy nominations are announced July 8.
Sources: Variety
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scary Movie | Jun 6 | $55.0M | $55.0M dom |
| 2 | Masters of the Universe | Jun 6 | $29.3M | $29.3M dom / $54.3M WW |
| 3 | Backrooms | May 30 | $25.9M | $135.0M dom / $212.6M WW |
| 4 | Obsession | May 2026 | $25.6M | $152.1M dom |
| 5 | The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act | Jun 6 | $19.5M | $19.5M dom |
| 6 | Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu | May 23 | $10.0M | $155.8M dom / $293.6M WW |
| 7 | Michael | Apr 25 | $7.7M | ~$347.6M dom |
| 8 | The Breadwinner | May 30 | $3.4M | ~$10.9M dom |
| 9 | Not available from approved sources for this weekend | |||
| 10 | Not available from approved sources for this weekend | |||
| 11 | Not available from approved sources for this weekend | |||
| 12 | Not available from approved sources for this weekend | |||
| 13 | Not available from approved sources for this weekend | |||
| 14 | Not available from approved sources for this weekend | |||
| 15 | Not available from approved sources for this weekend | |||
| 16 | Not available from approved sources for this weekend | |||
| 17 | Not available from approved sources for this weekend | |||
| 18 | Not available from approved sources for this weekend | |||
| 19 | Not available from approved sources for this weekend | |||
| 20 | Not available from approved sources for this weekend | |||
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter · Weekend estimates, June 6–8, 2026 · Positions 9–20 not available from approved sources
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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