Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Draws Starry London Premiere Ahead Of July 17 Release
Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway and Lupita Nyong’o walked the red carpet at London’s Leicester Square on Monday for the world premiere of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Damon, who plays Odysseus, rated the shoot’s physicality “an 11” on a scale of one to 10, calling it harder than anything he has done. Nolan skipped the press line, instead taking the stage at the Odeon Luxe to call the premiere “truly incredible.” The $250 million production, shot entirely on IMAX 70mm cameras, opens in North America on July 17, with Deadline reporting a tracking range of $80 million-$100 million for its domestic debut.
Early Reviews Call Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ A Best Picture Contender
Critics who saw advance screenings of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey posted reactions Monday, with Indiewire’s Anne Thompson predicting Matt Damon could contend for Best Actor and calling the film “the BP to beat.” Los Angeles Times critic Joshua Rothkopf described it as “staggering” and “pure cinema,” while Time Out’s Phil de Semlyen wrote, “believe the hype(rbole).” Indiewire’s David Ehrlich was more mixed, calling it “too clunky to be S-tier Nolan” but praising its final act. The reactions arrive ahead of the film’s July 17 opening, with Deadline noting its $80 million-$100 million projected opening could shift depending on the response.
Angel Studios Greenlights ‘1776,’ A ‘Young Washington’ Sequel, After $19.3M Opening
Director Jon Erwin announced a Revolutionary War sequel, 1776, is already in development after Young Washington’s holiday-weekend debut. The historical drama’s opening was revised to $19.3 million after a softer-than-expected Sunday, the second-best three-day opening in Angel Studios’ history behind Sound of Freedom’s $19.6 million in 2023. Erwin filmed his announcement at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate, saying, “Wait for 1776 … it’s epic in every way.” Deadline reported the film scored an A CinemaScore and an 81% definite-recommend rating on PostTrak. Angel Studios has not set a release date for 1776 but confirmed the screenplay is already underway.
Sky’s $2.1 Billion ITV Takeover: Five Things To Know About The ‘Historic’ Deal
Sky and ITV executives held press calls Monday to detail Sky’s $2.1 billion (£1.6 billion) takeover of ITV’s broadcast and streaming operations, calling it a “historic” moment for British media. Regulatory approval from Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority is expected to take a year to 18 months, meaning the deal may not close until 2028. Sky CEO Dana Strong said the merger will generate £200 million in savings, largely from marketing and technology, including moving ITVX onto the streaming infrastructure that powers Peacock. ITV Studios will remain a separate listed company under a £2.1 billion output deal with Sky through 2032.
‘Minions & Monsters’ Edges ‘Toy Story 5’ In Soft July Fourth Box Office Weekend
Illumination’s Minions & Monsters led the holiday box office with a franchise-low $37 million three-day weekend and a $62 million five-day cume, according to Box Office Mojo. Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 5 was close behind with $30.3 million in its third weekend, pushing its domestic total past $365 million. Angel Studios’ Young Washington opened in third with $19.3 million, while Warner Bros.’ Supergirl continued to slide, falling 77% to $8.6 million in its second weekend. Deadline noted the overall marketplace was down 20% from last year’s comparable July 4 frame, which had benefited from a Friday holiday date.
‘Godzilla Minus One’ Director Takashi Yamazaki Sets Original Epic ‘Nue’ At 20th Century
20th Century has landed an original project titled Nue from Takashi Yamazaki, the Oscar-winning director of Godzilla Minus One, with Ridley Scott’s Scott Free producing alongside Michael Pruss. Plot details are being kept under wraps, Deadline reported. The deal continues a partnership between Scott Free and 20th Century co-head Steve Asbell. Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, and his follow-up, Godzilla Minus Zero, arrives in the U.S. on November 6 via Toho International. Scott Free also has The Dog Stars, starring Jacob Elordi, arriving from 20th Century Studios in August.
‘Enola Holmes 3’ Opens Softer Than Predecessor With 20.3 Million Netflix Views
Enola Holmes 3, starring Millie Bobby Brown, drew 20.3 million views in its first five days on Netflix despite the Fourth of July holiday boost, Deadline reported. That is down 32% from the second film’s estimated 29.8 million-view opening in 2022. The debut landed below Voicemails for Isabelle’s 31 million-view premiere and roughly matched Office Romance’s 20.9 million views. Separately, Netflix series I Will Find You, starring Sam Worthington, added 16 million views in its third week for a total of 74.1 million in 18 days, putting it on pace to challenge for the streamer’s Top 10 most popular English series list.
AI ‘Actor’ Tilly Norwood To Lead Feature Film ‘Misaligned’
Particle 6, the studio behind AI performer Tilly Norwood, is developing Misaligned, a comedy-drama billed as the AI character’s first lead feature role, Deadline reported. Founder Eline van den Velden said Particle 6 has “retrained and upskilled” more than 30 film and TV professionals to work alongside AI specialists on the production. The film follows Tilly inside a digital world called the “Tillyverse” as she develops human-like desires and ambitions. Van den Velden said the project aims to show traditional filmmakers “what is possible with AI” while helping crew members transition into AI-assisted filmmaking roles.
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minions & Monsters | Jul 1 | $37.0M | $62.0M |
| 2 | Toy Story 5 | Jun 19 | $30.3M | $365.7M |
| 3 | Young Washington | Jul 3 | $19.3M | $19.3M |
| 4 | Supergirl | Jun 26 | $8.6M | $57.5M |
| 5 | Disclosure Day | Jun 12 | $5.7M | $105.1M |
| 6 | Obsession | May 15 | $5.2M | $245.2M |
| 7 | Backrooms | May 29 | $3.3M | $190.5M |
| 8 | Jackass: Best and Last | Jun 26 | $2.7M | $14.7M |
| 9 | Scary Movie | Jun 5 | $1.1M | $106.3M |
| 10 | The Invite | Jun 26 | $0.8M | $1.4M |
| 11 | Masters of the Universe | Jun 5 | $0.7M | $63.9M |
| 12 | Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu | May 22 | $0.6M | $176.8M |
| 13 | Michael | Apr 24 | $0.5M | $371.3M |
| 14 | Leviticus | Jun 19 | $0.3M | $6.6M |
| 15 | Maddie’s Secret | Jun 19 | $0.2M | $0.5M |
| 16 | Lucky Strike | Jun 26 | $0.2M | $1.3M |
| 17 | BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity | Jun 26 | $0.2M | $4.3M |
| 18 | The Devil Wears Prada 2 | May 1 | $0.2M | $220.3M |
| 19 | The Sheep Detectives | May 8 | $0.1M | $65.9M |
| 20 | Tuner | May 22 | $0.1M | $4.4M |
Source: Box Office Mojo · Weekend estimates
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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