Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Sunday, July 12, 2026
Disney’s Moana Opens to $43M, Well Below $85M Projection
Disney’s live-action remake of Moana opened to an estimated $43 million domestically over its debut weekend, falling well short of early projections that had the $250 million-budget film tracking above $85 million. The production, starring Dwayne Johnson as Maui with Catherine Laga’aia in the title role, launched from 3,875 North American screens and posted an A– CinemaScore. Evil Dead: Burn took second place with an estimated $15 million. Holdovers Minions & Monsters and Toy Story 5 remained competitive in their second and fourth weekends respectively. Disney’s live-action pipeline now faces renewed scrutiny ahead of Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s July 31 opening.
Evil Dead: Burn Opens to $15M, Landing in Second Place
The sixth entry in the Evil Dead franchise, Evil Dead: Burn, opened to an estimated $15 million from 3,004 screens over its debut weekend, placing second at the domestic box office. Directed by Sébastien Vanicek, who co-wrote with Florent Bernard and Sam Raimi, the film follows a grieving widow whose in-laws fall victim to Deadite possession. The $20 million production outperformed analyst expectations for the lower-budget horror sequel. Cast members described the shoot as “relentless.” Burn is the first Evil Dead feature since Evil Dead Rise earned $25 million in its 2023 domestic opening. New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. distributed.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Tracking for $180–190M Domestic Debut
Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day is tracking for a $180 million to $190 million domestic opening on July 31, which would make it the biggest box office debut of 2026. The film, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, has posted the best first-day advance ticket sales of any release since Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021. The first trailer set an all-time record with 718.6 million views in its first 24 hours, becoming the first trailer in history to surpass 1 billion views in total. The campaign includes a Samsung global partnership activation tied to the film’s July 31 release.
Apple TV+ Makes First-Ever Hall H Appearance at San Diego Comic-Con
Apple TV+ will make its first-ever appearance in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, July 25, occupying the marquee venue for a two-hour panel. The debut will showcase Widow’s Bay — the horror comedy that earned 19 Emmy nominations this week — alongside the John Cena action film Matchbox: The Movie (October 9), Ryan Reynolds thriller Mayday (September 4), and sci-fi series Dark Matter and Silo. The Hall H debut represents the platform’s first-ever presence at the convention and a new chapter in Apple’s theatrical marketing strategy. Comic-Con runs July 21–26.
Disney Entertainment Television Confirms SDCC 2026 Panel Lineup
Disney Entertainment Television has confirmed its panels and activations for San Diego Comic-Con 2026, which runs July 21–26. The lineup includes dedicated panel time for Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3 and American Horror Story Season 13. The Rookie is also confirmed for SDCC panel time. The announcements come as Disney’s television division coordinates its fall marketing push through a major convention presence. This week, Disney Entertainment Television joins Apple TV+, CBS Studios, and Star Trek in confirming substantial Comic-Con marketing commitments for the San Diego event.
CBS Studios to Bring Supersized Panel Block to San Diego Comic-Con
CBS Studios will take a supersized panel block to San Diego Comic-Con 2026 (July 21–26), featuring hit comedy Ghosts (confirmed for Season 5) and vampire workplace comedy Eternally Yours. CBS will host a special advance screening of the Eternally Yours series premiere at the convention, giving fans early access before the fall broadcast premiere. Both are CBS Studios productions. The announcements join a wave of SDCC marketing confirmations from Disney Entertainment Television, Apple TV+, and Star Trek this weekend, as networks accelerate convention-circuit investment ahead of the 2026–27 season.
Star Trek Celebrates 60th Anniversary With Hall H Event at SDCC
Star Trek will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a two-part Hall H event at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 on July 25. A main-stage panel for Strange New Worlds Season 4 — featuring series stars Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, and Ethan Peck alongside executive producers Akiva Goldsman and Alex Kurtzman — will be followed by a franchise-wide anniversary panel with cast from across the Star Trek universe, led by a special introduction from Rod Roddenberry. A free advance screening of Strange New Worlds Season 4 episodes will be held at the Balboa Theater in San Diego on July 24.
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moana | Jul 11 | $43.0M | $43.0M |
| 2 | Evil Dead: Burn | Jul 11 | $15.0M | $15.0M |
| 3 | Minions & Monsters | Jul 1 | $17.5M | $95.2M |
| 4 | Toy Story 5 | Jun 19 | $14.0M | $386.3M |
| 5 | Young Washington | Jul 3 | $10.0M | $38.7M |
| 6 | The Invite | Jun 27 | $5.1M | $6.5M |
| 7 | Supergirl | Jun 26 | $4.0M | $63.1M |
| 8 | Obsession | Apr 24 | $2.5M | $201.4M |
| 9 | Jackass: Best and Last | Jun 26 | $2.0M | $35.2M |
| 10 | Lucky Strike | Jun 26 | $1.5M | $19.8M |
| 11 | Disclosure Day | Jun 12 | $1.2M | $82.7M |
| 12 | The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act | Jun 5 | $0.9M | $44.8M |
| 13 | Masters of the Universe | Jun 5 | $0.8M | $61.4M |
| 14 | Scary Movie | Jun 5 | $0.7M | $97.3M |
| 15 | Backrooms | May 29 | $0.6M | $149.2M |
| 16 | Couture | Jun 27 | $0.5M | $3.8M |
| 17 | Star Wars: Mandalorian and Grogu | May 22 | $0.4M | $318.6M |
| 18 | Michael | May 15 | $0.3M | $71.2M |
| 19 | 40 Dates and 40 Nights | Jun 27 | $0.2M | $4.1M |
| 20 | Devil Wears Prada 2 | May 8 | $0.1M | $85.7M |
Source: Box Office Mojo · Weekend estimates
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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