Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Thursday, July 9, 2026
2026 Emmy Nominations: HBO Max Leads With 122 Noms as The Pitt Tops All Programs
HBO Max topped all platforms with 122 Emmy nominations when the 2026 nominees were announced July 8, edging Netflix’s 111 and Apple TV+’s company-record 87. Medical drama The Pitt led all programs with 25 nominations, including outstanding drama series, while comedy Hacks earned 24 nods for its farewell fifth season — the most ever for a comedy series. Apple’s summer breakout Widow’s Bay placed third with 19 nominations, followed by Pluribus with 18 and Netflix’s Beef with 16. The nominations reflect months of aggressive FYC campaigns from every major streamer ahead of the September 14 ceremony on NBC and Peacock.
Minions and Monsters Opens to Franchise-Low $61M, Signaling Fatigue After 16 Years
Illumination’s Minions & Monsters opened to a $61 million five-day domestic total over the July 4th holiday weekend — the lowest debut in the 16-year Despicable Me franchise, falling below the original 2010 film’s $56 million. The result represents a steep decline from 2022’s Minions: The Rise of Gru and 2024’s Despicable Me 4, both of which opened to $122–$123 million over the same holiday stretch. Analysts cited franchise fatigue from seven films in 16 years. Internationally, the picture was far brighter: the film earned $98 million in 71 markets through Monday, bringing the worldwide total to $159 million.
Paramount+ Drops First Avatar Aang Trailer, Sets July 25 Streaming Date After Leak Forced Accelerated Release
Paramount+ released the first trailer for Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender on Wednesday alongside a confirmed July 25 streaming premiere, accelerating a release originally set for October 2026 in theaters. The animated feature — starring Eric Nam as Aang, with Dave Bautista, Steven Yeun, and Dionne Quan — was shifted to a direct streaming debut in December 2025, then moved up again after a full print leaked online in April. Paramount plans a San Diego Comic-Con presentation in the coming weeks. The trailer depicts Aang’s quest to find an ancient power that could save Airbender culture before it falls into the wrong hands.
Taylor Swift Earns 5 Emmy Nominations for Eras Tour Final Show Concert Film
Taylor Swift’s Disney+ concert documentary The Eras Tour: The Final Show received five Emmy nominations on July 8, headlined by outstanding variety special (pre-recorded), with Swift credited as a producer. The special, which premiered on December 12, 2025, documents the final performance of Swift’s record-breaking tour, which generated $2 billion in ticket sales across 149 shows. Additional nominations recognized director Glenn Weiss, picture editing, sound mixing, and technical direction. The film competes against Bad Bunny’s 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show in the same category at the September 14 Emmy Awards on NBC.
Dune: Part Three Trailer Debuts at Global IMAX Fan Event Ahead of December 18 Release
Warner Bros. and director Denis Villeneuve unveiled a new trailer for Dune: Part Three at a global IMAX fan event Wednesday, simulcast across eight cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, London, and Berlin. Stars Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Javier Bardem, and Anya Taylor-Joy made surprise in-person appearances; Timothée Chalamet participated via video. The trailer will run ahead of IMAX 70mm screenings of The Odyssey as part of the campaign. The film releases December 18, 2026, closing Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s trilogy. IMAX 70mm tickets began selling out weeks before the fan event, signaling strong pre-release demand.
Mariska Hargitay Named First Female Emmy Host in 15 Years for September 14 NBC Ceremony
Mariska Hargitay will host the 78th Emmy Awards live on NBC and Peacock on September 14, NBC confirmed Wednesday, making her the first woman to emcee the ceremony in 15 years. The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star brings recent live-performance credentials from her Broadway debut in the solo show Every Brilliant Thing. Producers Jesse Collins Entertainment return for a fourth consecutive year overseeing the telecast, with Collins, Dionne Harmon, and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay as executive producers. NBC framed the decision as part of its NBC 100 anniversary programming, pairing a long-tenured network talent with the broadcaster’s marquee awards show.
Netflix Challenges French Content Quotas as Streaming Regulation Battle Escalates Across Europe
Netflix escalated its dispute with French regulators Wednesday, publicly challenging new “diversity” rules that double streamers’ content investment obligations in animation, documentaries, and live performance. Pauline Dauvin, head of Netflix France, said the rules “go too far” and called for a spending cap. Netflix and Disney+ also contest windowing regulations that require Netflix to wait 15 months after a film’s theatrical release before streaming it — nearly triple the six-month window available to Canal+ and longer than Disney+’s nine-month arrangement. Amazon Prime Video has joined the opposition. The clash signals a broader EU reckoning over how streaming platforms are regulated across member states.
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minions & Monsters | Jun 25 | $37.0M | $62.0M |
| 2 | Toy Story 5 | Jun 17 | $30.3M | $365.7M |
| 3 | Young Washington | Jul 2 | $19.4M | $19.4M |
| 4 | Supergirl | Jun 25 | $8.6M | $57.5M |
| 5 | Disclosure Day | Jun 12 | $5.7M | $105.1M |
| 6 | Obsession | May 14 | $5.2M | $245.2M |
| 7 | Backrooms | May 28 | $3.3M | $190.5M |
| 8 | Jackass: Best and Last | Jun 25 | $2.7M | $14.7M |
| 9 | Scary Movie | Jun 5 | $1.1M | $106.3M |
| 10 | The Invite | Jun 25 | $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 | The Devil Wears Prada 2 | May 1 | $0.2M | $220.3M |
| 18 | The Sheep Detectives | May 8 | $0.1M | $65.9M |
| 19 | Tuner | May 22 | $0.1M | $4.4M |
| 20 | The Furious | Jun 12 | $0.1M | $6.4M |
Source: The Numbers · Weekend estimates (July 3–6, 2026)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency