Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Minions & Monsters Posts Franchise-Low $61M Domestic Debut; International Markets Soften the Blow
Minions & Monsters (Universal/Illumination) earned a franchise-low $61 million domestically over the five-day July 4 holiday period—short of the original $80 million forecast—with $36 million of that coming over the traditional three-day frame. The animated film fared considerably better internationally, pulling $98 million from 71 overseas markets, led by China’s $16.3 million contribution, for a worldwide debut of approximately $161 million. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (Warner Bros.) cratered 77% in its second weekend to $8.6 million, while both Toy Story 5 and Young Washington continued to perform solidly on the domestic chart.
Young Washington Overperforms With $20.8M Debut; Angel Studios Greenlights 1776 Sequel
Young Washington, Angel Studios’ patriotic historical drama about the formative years of America’s first president, opened to a strong $20.8 million over its five-day July 4 holiday debut, outperforming pre-release expectations. Encouraged by the results, Angel Studios swiftly greenlit a sequel centered on the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence, tentatively titled 1776. The announcement signals confidence in faith- and history-aligned theatrical content, particularly during patriotic holidays. Angel Studios—known for “Sound of Freedom”—is positioning itself as a consistent player in values-driven theatrical distribution, with Young Washington extending its streak of overperforming genre releases.
78th Emmy Nominations Unveiled This Morning; Streaming Platforms Expected to Lead the Field
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards unveiled its nominations this morning—July 8, 2026—with Emmy winners Liza Colón-Zayas and Jeff Hiller reading off nominees at 8:30 AM PT from the Television Academy’s Wolf Theatre in Los Angeles. Streaming heavyweights led the field heading into the September 14 ceremony on NBC and Peacock, with Apple TV+’s dystopian drama “Pluribus” and HBO’s “The Pitt” projected among the season’s most-nominated contenders. The nominations mark the formal opening of Hollywood’s fall awards season and are expected to shape marketing campaigns, streaming acquisition strategies, and talent deals industry-wide for the months ahead.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter Variety Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Mariska Hargitay Named Host of the 78th Emmy Awards on NBC and Peacock
Mariska Hargitay—the Emmy-winning star of “Law & Order: SVU”—has been named host of the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, airing September 14 on NBC and Peacock. The announcement, made this week by the Television Academy and dick clark productions, marks the actress’s Emmy hosting debut after years as a multiple-time nominee and past winner for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Hargitay’s selection signals a push for marquee television star power at a moment when streaming contenders are expected to command the ballot, blending legacy broadcast credibility with the ceremony’s increasingly digital-first audience.
Netflix Strikes Video Licensing Deal With Penske Media, Condé Nast, and Hearst to Deepen Fan Engagement
Netflix struck a sweeping video licensing deal with a constellation of premium publishers, including Penske Media brands (Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone, Billboard), Condé Nast (Vogue, Vanity Fair), Hearst, People, and BuzzFeed—as part of a strategy to “deepen fandom” on the platform. Short-form videos ranging from three-minute shorts to 20-minute episodes—covering travel, cooking, fashion, and celebrity profiles—will be discoverable directly from the Netflix homepage beginning August 3. The deal marks a significant shift in Netflix’s content strategy and signals growing platform appetite for publisher-driven video pipelines that could reshape digital media economics.
Sources: Variety The Hollywood Reporter Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Enola Holmes 3: I Will Find You Draws 20.3 Million Netflix Views in First Five Days
Enola Holmes 3: I Will Find You, Netflix’s holiday franchise entry starring Millie Bobby Brown as the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes, drew 20.3 million views in its first five days on the platform, benefiting from holiday streaming habits during the July 4 weekend. The viewership figures, released by Netflix under its voluntary reporting framework, place the film among the platform’s stronger franchise entries for 2026. Henry Cavill returns as Sherlock Holmes alongside Brown. The strong debut reinforces Netflix’s strategy of timing franchise sequels to major holiday windows, where subscriber engagement traditionally spikes as families gather around home screens.
Disney Live-Action Moana Eyes $130M+ Global Opening as It Opens in Theaters This Friday
Walt Disney Pictures’ live-action Moana is tracking for a $130 million+ global opening as it prepares to launch in theaters on July 10, according to industry tracking. The remake of Disney’s acclaimed 2016 animated film—starring Dwayne Johnson as the demigod Maui—is booked at 3,900 theaters, including IMAX, PLF, 3D, and 4DX formats. Disney’s marketing campaign has leaned on brand nostalgia and Johnson’s global celebrity with extensive international promotional rollouts. Should forecasts hold, Moana will challenge Minions & Monsters in its second frame and test the continued appeal of Toy Story 5, which has exceeded $365 million domestically.
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minions & Monsters | Jul 4 | $36.0M | $61.0M |
| 2 | Toy Story 5 | Jun 19 | $31.0M | $366.0M |
| 3 | Young Washington | Jul 3 | $19.3M | $20.8M |
| 4 | Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow | Jun 26 | $8.6M | $57.4M |
| 5 | Disclosure Day | Jun 12 | $5.6M | $105.3M |
| 6 | Obsession | May 8 | $5.3M | $245.3M |
| 7 | Backrooms: Extended Edition | May 29 | $3.3M | $190.4M |
| 8 | Jackass: Best and Last | Jun 27 | $2.7M | $14.7M |
| 9 | The Mandalorian & Grogu | May 22 | ~$2.0M* | ~$222M* |
| 10 | Scary Movie | Jun 5 | $1.1M | $106.2M |
| 11 | Masters of the Universe | Jun 12 | ~$1.0M* | ~$55M* |
| 12 | Michael | May 1 | ~$0.8M* | ~$352M* |
| 13 | Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Mar 27 | ~$0.5M* | ~$228M* |
| 14 | Devil Wears Prada 2 | Apr 17 | ~$0.4M* | ~$196M* |
| 15 | Project Hail Mary | Mar 13 | ~$0.3M* | ~$215M* |
| 16 | The Invite | Jun 26 | ~$0.3M* | ~$1.4M* |
| 17 | (Limited Release) | — | — | — |
| 18 | (Limited Release) | — | — | — |
| 19 | (Limited Release) | — | — | — |
| 20 | (Limited Release) | — | — | — |
Source: Deadline / Variety · Weekend estimates (Jul 4–6, 2026) · * = estimate, limited data available
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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